Lord Bielefeld, do you
by J. Cascata
Summary: Post Anime only. After being back in The Great Demon Kingdom for a few years, Yuuri is quite comfortable in his role as King. His personal life isn't as great though. He can't seem to come to terms with himself. It's just a broken love story
1. Prologue

This will only be posted on the prologue chapter.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any rights to the characters, original story or concept, or any merchandise or franchise materials associated with the original works that this story is based from. I accept no payments, monetary or otherwise, for this or any related materials or works associated. This is for entertainment purposes only (and my sanity).

**SUMMARY**:

Post Anime only.

After being back in The Great Demon Kingdom for a few years, Yuuri is quite comfortable in his role as King. He's getting along well with his allies and making new ones fairly regularly. Things seem to be going pretty well except in his personal life. Since that fateful day over four years ago when he inadvertently became engaged to the most bratty Prince he's ever known, Yuuri has struggled to handle his love life properly.

Yuuri can't seem to come to terms with the relationship and yet won't call it off, mostly out of respect for the damage that would do to Wolfram. But it isn't a secret that the engagement was a mistake and the King isn't interested in consummating said relationship with the dashing Prince.

Is it worse to leave him to his public humiliation or to go through the shame of what would essentially amount to a divorce?

**NOTE**: This takes place a few years after the Anime, so currently these are their ages (below). I chose this particular time because it allowed enough time to pass for Yuuri to become acquainted somewhat properly with his role and duties, but also for him to feel like an adult. Being raised mostly on Earth and in Japan, the age of 20 would hold more significance to him inherently than 16 had at that time. It's all about the mind set.

King Yuuri Shibuya - 20 years old

Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld - 86 years old

~.~ KKM ~.~

**"Lord Von Bielefeld, do you…"**

Prologue (set up mostly like a chapter for my sake XD )

~THWACK~

The twang of a ball being slammed was incredible; there really was nothing like it. Yuuri covered an arm over his head to shield out the harsh sun and looked out for the next runner, waiting as the team readied for the next go.

There was something soothing about the game that brought a sense of home to his home, as strange as that sounded. Speaking of which, he needed to make a trip back to his homeland soon. His brother was working out the time lag with him and he needed to go back to see how much time had passed. It was strange to think of his brother on the other side as the other King but was also a welcome reprieve from politics in general. Regardless of the occasion, his brother was still his brother and that would never change.

He heard the swish of the ball as the pitcher released it and looked over in time to watch the batter swing. Air for days on that one, but that was fine. It was his first strike and he could recover from that. Yuuri smiled in pure bliss and watched on, his thoughts wandering in and out in his sedated mood.

Behind him on the bench sat two of his favorite people in either world. To his right was Lord Von Bielefeld, best friend and most adored retainer of them all…just don't tell that bratty, beautiful Prince; it all goes straight to his head.

To his left was his longest acquaintance and friend from the other side, Ken Murata, though he was referred to as The Wise One on this side. Yuuri wasn't so sure about his wisdom, so much as the fact that he had multi-life memories which gave him an edge in strategic planning. Most fearful of his traits had to be his ability and love for subterfuge.

Currently the two of them were bantering about the game and it's relevance to Yuuri's duties. Lord Von Bielefeld was a stickler for tradition and rules, oddly enough, which led him to believe that this much play time was unhealthy for the Kingdom and that Yuuri needed to get back to work. Of course, if they were at Covenant Castle and he were working, the lavish little brat would be complaining that they didn't have any time to spend together alone. He was incorrigible and unappeasable. Eh, but Yuuri didn't want it any other way.

The Wise One, on the other hand, was of the opinion that if the King were to only work and never mingle with the people or have any personal free time then he would become agitated, easily distracted, and uninterested in his core duties. All work and no play makes a dull boy…or something to that effect. He didn't quite get all of the quips but he agreed with Murata, more or less. In any case, he was going to watch this game whether the two of them could agree on it or not.

This inning was closing up and he was happy to see that his team was ahead by 2 ins. If they kept up the trend, they would have this game in the bag. However, it was the bottom of the 4th and anything could happen. It was so exhilarating!

There was a brief remission coming up, so Yuuri took the opportunity to relax on the bench and sip some lemonade. He sat between his two friends and laid his head back, a goofy little grin gracing his lips. This was turning into a pretty good day!

"I don't understand your obsession with this game!"

Yuuri peeked at Wolfram but otherwise didn't move. He was being awfully crabby today, even for him. Murata seemed to want to take this battle on though, so Yuuri decided to sit back and watch the show.

"It's much like your obsession with Yuuri. There's not a real scientific explanation to it; he just loves the game. It makes him feel good"

Yuuri and Wolfram both blushed at the implications in his word and Yuuri was happy to hear Wolfram stutter out his response. It was a little too cute if you asked him.

"I-I-it's not the same. I love Yuuri because he's Yuuri…not because he makes me feel good."

Their blushing intensified and Yuuri felt a sudden heat wash over him.

"But he does make you feel good, doesn't he?"

"You're such a pervert!"

Yuuri watched a little breathless as Wolfram stomped out of the box. Somehow these conversations always turned this way and Yuuri had a sneaking suspicion that Murata was doing it on purpose, but for what reason he wasn't sure. He did know better than to prod at him for it though. Took him a few years to learn, but he realized that sleeping dogs really are best left alone.

"Shibuya, he really is enamored with you"

If he could blush any harder then he would, but as it stood he was having trouble choking down the blood rush already.

"Knock it off Murata"

"So you don't feel the same way about him?"

Yuuri sat up at that and stared at him. No one had ever said it so boldly before and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Huh?"

Smooth…

"You wouldn't mind then if I take a go at him? Or maybe it's okay that those girls are all but stripping him naked right now"

Yuuri's head shot to the side and his heart pounded in his chest. It took half a moment to find the golden blonde locks of his bratty Prince…and he was certainly surrounded by a lot of girls.

Yuuri took a steadying breath and laid back a bit, placing his arm over his eyes in an attempt to close away his thoughts.

"It'll be good for him to find a nice girl"

"To be fair, I don't think he ever had any interest in females at all…"

Yuuri considered what he knew of Wolfram and the very few times he was even remotely interested in other people. He had to agree that women had never been at the top of Wolf's list.

"…but he's already spoken for so I don't see him taking too kindly to your comment any time soon. He's very traditional and even if you won't solidify the relationship, he won't ever cheat on you"

He thought about that for a while and recalled Gunter's lessons on the traditions of the Great Demon Kingdom and this world as a whole. He was tired of getting caught in a loophole of ridiculous traditions that landed him in very precarious situations…like the one with his best friend. Murata was right though; for all intents and purposes he and Wolfram were considered married. It worked a lot like common law marriages back on Earth. The only difference now was that they never had sex, so the marriage itself was considered incomplete.

To be fair, the current situation was a black mark on both himself and Wolf. He didn't care so much how people saw him in that way because as King people tended to overlook quite a bit. He could even have a harem if he so wished and, far as he knew, there was actually a type of harem that he had since he first arrived and simply hadn't known about it. The ladies were all maidens in waiting. They chose to join the harem in the hopes that the current King might desire their company.

The issue at present with them was that they thought since he was in the position he was in with Wolf, that he would have urges only they could handle. Many women joined that harem and for some time now the maids had to turn away new requests. There were simply too many.

That alone was another slight against Wolf. They weren't there for him, though he was free to mingle with them as he liked because he had given permission for him to do so. They were there for the King and that was that.

Yuuri, however, was not a harem type guy. He was a one person show. Even though he didn't engage in any sexual activity with Wolf, he also didn't do that with anyone else. He learned over the years that even allowing someone to flirt with him caused public repercussions for Wolf and he wanted to avoid that at all costs. Besides, he had kissed him before…and not just that time that the Great One took over Wolf's body and forced him to kiss him in the love machine.

It was all private and only when they were alone, but it was never anything more than kissing. Yuuri was actually confused by it nearly every time. Wolf was beautiful, attractive in so many ways, and when they kissed he felt things that no one else made him feel. But that was the orientation of sex in general, was it not? He could still feel those things if he were kissing someone else, couldn't he? It wasn't because it was Wolf… it's just that they were in that relationship so he would only kiss him. It was only right.

"Thinking dirty thoughts about your Prince?"

Yuuri jumped up and felt a new level of heart racing adrenaline. He felt like the kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar…only it wasn't just inside the jar, it was stuck…and the jar was a beautiful blonde haired boy with emerald eyes and sinful lips.

"You're blushing"

"AM NOT"

Yuuri sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Could you maybe, as a gift for my birthday, be nice to him today? Just today?"

~.~ KKM ~.~

Yuuri walked with his hands behind his head, a relaxed and wide stance as he toddled back toward the Castle. He could've ridden the horse today but he felt like walking and decided that this leisurely stroll was exactly what he needed after that game. Besides, on the way to the ballgame he had ridden with Wolfram and that made the pretty boy happy.

The game itself was great. After the embarrassing little conversation during remission, Wolf had returned to the box with a small handful of Yuuri's favorite treats and from there on the day went smooth. Currently both Murata and Wolf were heading back to the Castle with him, them farther ahead than him and Wolfram was getting fairly annoyed with it.

He watched with no small amusement as Wolfram's scowl deepened and he jumped off his horse. Yuuri dropped his arms and watched as he gave the reins to Murata, thereby sending both horses away with the Wise One. He raised his eye brows at that… he was sure the Prince would have demanded he ride with him by now. By no means was he complaining though.

When Wolfram reached Yuuri's side, he was scowling something fierce and mumbling about lazy Kings and the work they make people do to protect them. It was cute how he thought that was going to bother him in any way.

Yuuri jumped when he felt Wolfram grab his hand and start pulling him down the road toward the Castle.

"Come on you wimp, you're taking too long!"

"Don't call me a wimp!"

"Yeah yeah, let's just get going"

Yuuri sped up a little to keep in time with Wolfram and was a little surprise when he didn't let go of his hand. In fact, when they were walking side by side Wolfram seemed to change his grip and simply hold his hand. The blush from earlier came back full force and if he had the nerve to chance a glance at him, he would see that Wolfram was in the same boat.

There was a small sense of guilt that caught in Yuuri's chest and he pulled on Wolfram's hand, bringing him to a stop.

"Yuuri! What's the matter with you? It's getting late already, the sun is going to go down before we get back! I should have made you ride with me. Honestly, the things I do for you…"

Yuuri trembled slightly as he thought about what he was doing. There was never a good time to talk with him, and he never knew what he was supposed to say, but he also knew that he couldn't let this go on without saying something. Holding his hand like this, thinking of him the way he did, it wasn't fair to Wolfram.

"Yuuri?"

Yuuri gripped his hand and let go, missing the feeling before it was gone.

"Wolfram, who were those girls at the baseball field?"

Something crossed through Wolfram's eyes that made Yuuri blink. There was pain there, as though he had just said something terrible to him.

"I didn't do anything with them. I never would!"

Yuuri realized that the way he voiced the question sounded dangerously like an accusation and he felt like an ass for that.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. Wolf I'm sorry. I just meant that they seemed interested in you and I was wondering if you were interested in them too?"

"Yuuri! I will never cheat on you! Why are you being like this?"

He realized that he wasn't saying any of this right and when he tried to fix it, he made it worse. Yuuri walked over to a nearby tree and sat down, trying to collect his thoughts so that he could talk with Wolfram about this properly. He only wanted his happiness, but boy was he a screw up.

"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. Really I'm not! I just wondered how you felt…about women…in general"

He watched as Wolfram approached him and knelt down in front of him, his hand reaching out to caress Yuuri's cheek.

"Are you asking if I prefer women over men?"

Yuuri allowed his eyes to flutter closed and nodded his head.

"I only prefer you. Isn't that enough?"

Yuuri sighed and held onto the hand on his cheek, holding it still to keep him from stroking his face or hair any further. It was highly distracting.

"What about children? What about your future? What about…"

Yuuri felt the soft lips that belonged to his best friend as they effectively shut him up. The humor swimming in his emerald sea made Yuuri feel a little embarrassed.

"Greta is adopted, is she not? Is there anything wrong with that? My future is by your side, as your retainer, as your best friend, and if you ever allow it then as your lover. What is so wrong with that? You worry too much, Yuuri"

"But what if a woman came along and you were attracted to her? What if you wanted to create children with her?"

He felt Wolfram's hand leave his face and watched him stand, a hand extended to help him up. He allowed his self to be pulled up and gasped as he was slammed against the tree, the bark cutting sharply into his side.

Wolframs lips curved against his neck and he felt his body respond almost immediately. He was fairly ashamed in that because he should be able to control himself at least this much. But the words whispered so sinfully against his neck, the hand that crept down his body and lingered dangerously close to the growing bulge in his pants was damning on it's own.

"Do you not feel how your body wants me? Is this not good enough for you? Are you the one that prefers the company of a woman?"

He felt cold even though the heat of the demon holding him to the tree was hotter than any other person he'd ever been near.

"I-I… I don't know"

"I see"

Yuuri felt the disappointment more than heard it and it broke something inside of him. He wasn't lying, he didn't honestly know what he preferred anymore. He was raised in a place where same sex relations were so taboo that you were not to speak of them, let alone engage in them. He struggled so much with accepting not only Wolfram's open love for him but also his own responses to it, to him as a person.

Yuuri wasn't stupid, he knew that he was attracted to the Prince. The trouble was within him and whether or not he could live a happy life like this. He couldn't allow it to go on if it was only going to hurt Wolfram in the end. He couldn't live with himself if all he ever gave to him was pain.

"Come on, let's get back to the Castle. I have to keep you safe"

Yuuri blinked at the amount of distance Wolfram put between them in such a short time. Something changed just then and Yuuri wasn't sure how to handle it.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Upon returning to the Castle, the inhabitants had all been asleep save for Conrad. He was there to greet them and had sent them off to bed with that infuriatingly knowing look in his eyes. Yuuri felt an odd sense of shame in that and wondered how much Conrad actually knew…not that he could ever ask him something like that.

When they got to the room, Wolfram changed into his nightclothes and went straight to bed. But as they laid there that night, Yuuri pondered how best to address the situation and found himself feeling more and more lonely the more he thought about letting Wolfram go. He knew it was the right thing to do though.

Still, he needed comfort like a dying man needed water. He turned to his side and watched Wolfram's back as it rose and fell with his breaths.

"Wolf?"

…

"Yeah"

"I'm sorry…"

"It's fine. Go to sleep"

"No it isn't!"

Yuuri sat up and looked down on him with frustration, pulling him to lay flat on his back and leaning over until they came face to face.

"I can't let your future go to waste on someone like me. You deserve better than this"

He was confused when Wolf smiled, it was a crooked smirk more than anything, and he was even more confused when Wolf pulled him down for a kiss before wrapping him in a hug.

"I'm not going anywhere, but if this is what it takes for you to learn then you best be prepared"

"Uuaah, you sound so threatening"

"Go to sleep Yuuri"

"Mm"

~.~ KKM ~.~

So… I haven't written a fiction in ages. I feel I may be too rusty but this story is incredibly obnoxious. Since re-watching KKM, this damn thing has been bouncing around like a toddler on a sugar high with a double shot mocha latte and I'm ready to pull my hair out!

**Heads up** \- I've posted with MA rating for a reason. Honestly I don't know how far I'll take these two in writing. I'm not a lemon-esque writer, but I do love smut. So here's the deal: Whether I write out a lemon or find a tactful way to include it with enough detail that it is obvious but not crude will be determined by my writing at the time that said incident takes place.

Any constructive criticism/remarks/suggestions are welcome. Rudeness for the sake of being an asshole will be blocked. I don't play well with others and I'm not going to pretend to just to get a little attention. Not sorry - not my style.

All that being said, leave me a note and let me know what you think. I'm sure this chapter (and all subsequent chapters) could use some polishing and I'm more than willing to run back through it later. For now, I have to get this little monster out of my head so I can get some sleep. I'm THAT type of crazy writer. Hahaha J

**PS**: It's a chapter story but I haven't planned out the number of chapters. I like to free-write in that way at the very least. The chapter lengths will a tad longer than the prologue at the very least, so you know.


	2. Chapter 1

**"Lord Von Bielefeld, do you…"**

**1**

"Little Yuuri! Oh no, I put it on the cake. What do I do?"

Her small hands worked feverishly to make a beautiful cake, the last of it's kind in this house. Tears dripped from her eyes. Her boys were all grown up.

"It's okay mother, really. Leave it there"

Jennifer spun around to see the handsome face of her youngest son and the beautiful man that he sometimes got to bring with him. Her error all but forgotten, she put down her knife and made her way around the counter to hug her sons.

"I told you to call me mama, Yuuri! I'm so glad you made it!"

"Of course we would; it's his birthday after all!"

Jennifer smiled at the obviousness in Wolfram's voice because to him these things were simply fact. She went back to finishing up the cake for this afternoon. She was just happy to be able to spend this time with them.

"Why don't you two go and change? I'll put out some food for lunch in a bit. Your father and brother are on their way now"

~.~ KKM ~.~

Yuuri watched in mild fascination as Wolfram made his way around his childhood room with ease. At some point over the past few years, he had emptied out a drawer for him and given various other spaces in which to store his things in this world. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but the more he gave, the more Wolf stayed. He was doing what was natural for now but in the end it was only going to cause them both so much trouble.

With a sigh he tried to focus on the absurdity of the Prince transforming into an every day teen. Even though Yuuri was now considered an adult, he and Wolfram still looked very much like teenagers. He hadn't considered how he would age, but he supposed it made sense being half-demon and all. It was a little curious that he hadn't aged slower earlier, but he figured that had something to do with growing up on Earth…probably. At least he had his identification card to prove his age here.

"Are you planning on going with your friends later still?"

Yuuri nodded and continued changing. He was going out simply to try out being an adult for a night, so it wasn't anything fancy.

"You should wear this"

He reached out in time to catch the bundle and brought it up to his face to inspect better. As he unfolded it in front of him, he realized it was a basic black t-shirt with only one simple decoration. He laughed and pulled the shirt on over his head. It was one of those soft thread shirts that fit against your body perfectly. He looked down and spread his arms out.

"How do I look?"

"Like you"

Yuuri shook his head and decided to go down to see if his mother needed any help.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Their lunch had been uneventful, and the birthday cake was split early in the day so that he could spend time this evening with his friends from earth. Wolfram was staying with his parents for some 'quality time', but really it was only because he hadn't been able to obtain a new identification here. His brother had the resources as the current King but refused to abuse his powers that way. Yuuri had a sneaking suspicion that his brother knew he needed a night away from the Prince.

He and Murata were currently walking down the street to a meet up place where the guys from the old baseball team had promised to show him a few things about drinking in Saitama. Yuuri tugged at the collar of his shirt and readjusted it, trying to keep cool under the dark shirt. The weather had only turned this hot recently but the young King found it a bit stifling.

"That shirt really suits you, Shibuya"

He looked down at it with a strange sort of smile.

"Wolf got it for me"

"It's a shame he couldn't come with us tonight. You could've introduced him to they guys"

Yuuri grimaced at the thought and pictured the Prince going around shoving all the guys away and shouting about his fiancé being off limits. That was honestly more a nightmare than a wish.

"Yeah I don't think I'd be doing that even if I could. It's not right, you know?"

He missed the concern in Murata's eyes as he kept his own trained on the path ahead. All of this stuff with Wolfram was beginning to suffocate him a bit. He didn't know what to do about it either. The engagement had gone on for too long but that was what confused him the most.

In all of his lessons with Gunter, he had begun to understand how incredibly naïve he was and just how much everyone had used him in the beginning. He had been hurt by it at first, when he realized that he had been nothing more than their political gambit more or less. In a way, Adalbert had been right to try to steal him away in the beginning.

Over time he had learned to accept that they were doing what was natural, securing their lives and their interests after having to bank their futures on a half-demon from another world. He really couldn't be mad at them for any of it.

But Wolf was another story altogether. Everything about it made his head spin. When he had slapped him at their first meeting, Wolf had the opportunity to turn it down and no one would have even had to know. If anyone found out, it would be a strange rumor at best and then die off like yesterday's news. But the pretty boy was such a foul-mouthed, hard-headed twat at that time that he only thought of his pride and had challenged him to a duel instead.

Since coming from a different world, Yuuri certainly didn't know any better and had inadvertently accepted the duel. Really that was all so fickle that he thought he might just want to denounce all of it and ban such ridiculous traditions…but then he would just be the outsider trying to make the rules up to fit his personal gain. He wasn't that type of King.

Still, even after the duel and over the past 5 years, Wolfram had at his disposal a way to dissolve the engagement without causing strife to himself or the Von Bielefeld name. And it was that singular piece of information that made Yuuri stall any actions. He needed to know why he did it, why he didn't dissolve it. If it was because he truly did fall for him, then Yuuri could forgive that. But if it was all done to use him as his political pawn, if he kept him close for the sake of keeping the King under key, then the Von Bielefeld name was going to have a lot to answer for.

Yuuri looked down at his shirt and swallowed.

"Justice"

He felt a hand on his shoulder and stopped walking, his eyes closing as he tried to measure his composure.

"I had no idea you'd put so much thought into this, Shibuya"

Had he said all that aloud? Did he really just spill his fears about his retainers to the former Wise Man? This was not good.

"Don't think I didn't notice what you did back then either. It turned out for the best and to be honest it was better that I didn't understand it at the time because it wouldn't have turned out this way otherwise. But…"

He turned to face his long time friend with the poker face his other half had taught him so long ago. It wasn't his intention to intimidate him, but he would take what he could get.

"…if you ever pull a stunt like that on me again, you'll find yourself in Wolfram's shoes just as quick"

Murata's nervous laugh told him that he understood the gravity of the mercy he was showing him in NOT punishing him for his hand in everything. If he were being honest about it, he really didn't want to punish anyone at all. His nature was one of peace and he sought that as though it were the only thing that existed worth finding. The trouble with who he had been when he first became King was that he naively believed that it was in fact the only thing in the world worth finding and he ran toward it with that single-minded fever. It was almost cringe worthy how stupid he had been.

The pair of them started walking again, a new understanding beginning to blossom between them. Yuuri found that he was quite comfortable with the development and could relax a little better now. It felt good to get that off his chest. Having learned what he had, he found it difficult to confide in his retainers even though his sole foundation of allegiance was built on what he had believed was trust. He was still working out what that meant to him now.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do when you find out what his intentions had been…what they are now?"

"That really depends on what I learn of it between now and then. If he has been deceiving me this entire time, then justice will be done."

"What if it started that way and turned into love later?"

Yuuri considered the best way to respond to that. He had been thinking about this for a while now and he didn't have a good answer. Politically speaking, Wolfram should be sent away regardless of how it happened because the simple fact remained that it HAD started out with him using the small mistake he made in order to get in good graces with him.

"That's the best I could hope for, but that is also bad in its own way"

"How so?"

"What would you do if you were in my shoes? If you were engaged to a man that you knew had used you. It doesn't matter if his motives changed. And then even if you could forgive all that…he's still a man"

"Politically, the best thing to do would be to test his current loyalty. You've turned many that sought to assassinate you into some of your most loyal vassals. You know it's possible to forgive simply because you are you. But for the last bit…Yuuri…are you a homophobe?"

What an absurd thing to say! He never had any issue with it personally.

"Of course not"

"Well you sure sound like one. I think you need to work that out before you go discussing this with anyone any further. Lord Von Bielefeld wasn't brought up the way you and I had been and I don't believe he would understand the concept of homophobia in the first place"

Yuuri considered that for a moment and realized that he was right. The Great Demon Kingdom and it's surrounding nations didn't seem to put any notion into gender naming as far as sexual orientation was concerned. They tended to believe in a more basic and simple concept of love; it simply existed.

"I'm trying"

"Have you talked with him about this at all? I mean 5 years seems a long time not to say something"

At that he had the good grace to blush. They'd done more than just talk.

"We've talked a little, but the last time it was brought up…it ended pretty badly"

Yuuri recounted the details of the night after their trip to the baseball game for his birthday gift. He left a few details out but did hint that they had kissed. It wasn't that he wanted to be one of those kiss and tell guys, but it seemed important that he and Wolf had crossed the line of friendship a long time ago.

"So essentially you don't know if you can accept a same-sex marriage…and you've been considered married by a technicality for almost your entire reign as King?"

He blinked at that and realized that Murata was right. His fight against this relationship had been going on since the first day he stepped foot in that world and he had allowed it to grow in to a much bigger issue than it ever should have been.

He nodded in response wondered once again what he would do if it turned out that Wolfram really did love him.

"So you've kissed him and, forgive me for prying, but you enjoyed it. Is that about right?"

Yuuri blushed as he nodded. He would not deny that he enjoyed their activities so far. The guilt he felt for that was incredible.

"Have you ever kissed a girl before? And I don't mean like we did in grade school behind the slides either. I mean a real kiss the way he kisses you."

He hadn't. Never in his life had he been romantic with a female at all.

"Do dating sims count?"

"_Shibuya!_"

He laughed and dodged Murata's fist, enjoying the banter just a bit. They rounded the last corner and he paused at the end of the street, his eyes alighting on his friends in front of the little bar they were headed for. As he waved in response to their calls, he slid his eyes to the side and watched Murata's expression for any deception.

"Tonight I'm going to act like a normal Japanese man that just got his right to drink. No duties, no pretty boys, no politics…just a man and his beer. Understood?"

Murata's smile was covered in secrecy and he knew from experience that the man was going over the information, looking for any way to get his sticky hands into the mess as he always did. But in the end he agreed to a truce for tonight and that was enough for now.

~.~ KKM ~.~

"Shibuya! Try this one next!"

Yuuri looked up and saw someone holding another beer out to him. He would accept it but it was a light beer and he had already learned that those one's taste like piss! He hated them.

Thankfully Murata came to his rescue and chased the guy off. He had a beer but had nursed it until it was too far flat to consider drinkable. Murata had offered to be his sober buddy for the night so that he could let loose for once. All things considered, he wasn't going to get another chance like this and with Murata there, if he started drunk mumbling then at least it wouldn't be misunderstood.

His body felt like a feather right now and the dark brew that he had in his hand was some Irish concoction that went down very nicely. Those were a lot more expensive here in Japan but he didn't care right now.

Murata came back and sat with him at the counter, leaning over a cup of cold coffee and with a contented smile. The man seemed to be most comfortable when he was bantering with buddies about nothing in particular. Being a man with so much knowledge was probably quite the burden.

"My lips are tingling"

Yuuri laughed at the strange feeling of his lips tingling and looked over to see that Murata found it just as humorous.

"You're well on your way to being drunk, my friend. If you don't want a splitting headache tomorrow, I would recommend making this your last."

He was bummed by the thought of ending this night soon, but he was still sober enough to be able to read the clock and comprehend that it was nearing midnight. His night was good, filled with a lot of laughs, a few memories, and certainly a good beer or two. He lifted his glass and looked at the brew carefully.

"A dark brew for the Dark Lord." That made him chuckle a little. "We should bring some of this back with us"

"And now the King wants his private reserves to be filled with Beer. You really are typical"

He shrugged and took another swig of the smooth drink.

"Eh, I like what I like"

Had he been any less drunk, he would have seen the gleam that overtook the former Wise Man. He would have had enough sense to get up and walk away while he still had the chance. But he wasn't…so he didn't.

It wasn't long after that when his beer was finished and they were saying their goodbyes as they hobbled their way down the street. Yuuri had stayed for one more beer after their chat, but it seemed he had passed his limit and was having to rely on Murata to get him home.

"Sorry bout this"

He remembered Murata's laughter, his promise to take care of him, and stumbling a lot. When he felt the coolness of his pillow though, he let go of all attempt to remain conscious and slept like a drowned log.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Pain exploded behind his eyes, little sparks of light dancing in rhythm. Thud, thud, thud…. Thud, thud, thud. What on earth was with all the pounding?!

It took a few tries, but Yuuri was eventually able to get his self into a sitting position. He felt awful and the room kept spinning. His eyes screwed shut as he held onto his head in an attempt to hold it still. Nothing was making it better though.

In the distance he could hear shouting and the sound of running. He couldn't make out anything that was being said, but when the door to his room swung open, he was able to make out the silhouette of a man with bright yellow on his head. That had to be Wolfram.

He tried to mumble a greeting but all the came out was a gargle.

Suddenly the man's face was directly in front of his and while it was uncomfortable to see him so close up, at least he wasn't spinning. As Wolfram began to speak, he let his eyes stray from the furious emerald greens down to his lips, trying desperately to understand what he was saying.

"…look for you all night long. But here I find you perfectly safe…with this?!"

Yuuri couldn't hardly understand what was going on but he did back up enough to see what Wolfram was pointing at. There on the bed next to him was a slender, blonde haired female with her head buried into a pillow as though trying to shut out the sounds around her.

Cold fear washed over him in understanding. There was a female in his bed and, from what he could see at least, she wasn't wearing much right now. The situation was very sobering and he found that he was unable to look Wolfram in the face. He had no idea who she was or where she came from…or why she was there.

"When you are through cleaning yourself up, we have business to attend to. We will be returning to the kingdom today, Your _Majesty"_

Yuuri shrank in shame at the term and nodded slowly, confusion warring with the little bit of memory he could muster from the night previous. Something about this was not adding up.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Murata brought a glass of water and sat it on the coffee table in front of the very angry Prince. His movements were jerky and filled with barely restrained anger. For the first time, the former sage wondered if he had gone too far.

"You could have called"

He looked up to see the damning green eyes of the young Prince staring him down, challenging him to deny it. He couldn't and wouldn't. He nodded in agreement and sat back into the recliner.

"Our King is in a precarious position right now…"

"Yes, I saw"

"Not that! You know very well that he has not done anything that he is not allowed. He has the power and freedom to do as he wishes with whomever he wishes to do it. Even as his fiancé you have no say in this"

He watched closely as the man's fists clenched tightly in his lap. His anger was still very present but he was also very well versed in this particular area of politics and would not show any further emotion. There was nothing he could say or do that would change the fact that King Yuuri had every right to entertain consorts. Hell the man had a harem if he ever chose to make use of it.

The Prince slithered out a response, a low and guttural feel to his voice, but calm nonetheless. It was a testament to his restraint and his attempt to keep Yuuri from listening in on the conversation.

"I am aware of his privileges"

Murata dropped his head, a small though nagging at the back of his mind. Shibuya had learned quite a lot these past years since becoming King. His political prowess was growing and his understanding of how a Kingdom is ruled, the roles of his retainers and Knights, and the importance of the 10 Aristocratic Families was quite impressive. What to do with that information was another matter entirely.

He stood and walked across the room to grab a drink for his self. He didn't particularly need the refreshment, but he needed the distraction.

"Have you sat in on his lessons at all, Lord Von Bielefeld? I ask because it seems that Shibuya has begun to understand the politics of ruling his Kingdom in a more clear manner, an eventuality for any good King of course"

Murata returned to his seat and popped the top of the can, enjoying the way the Prince flinched at the noise.

"If he truly has begun to understand, then all the better for those that protect him"

"Bold words for the man that holds his ear"

He spun the can between his hands, relishing in the feel of the coldness against his heated skin. If the Prince thought he was going to back down from this, he was sorely mistaken. The Great Demon Kingdom was his home and his love. He'd spent generations reincarnating to see it made and he'd be damned if some Prince upstart was going to thwart that.

Then again, if Lord Von Bielefeld had it his way then he would be holding more than just the King's ear before the years end. That was all fine and dandy of course; the issue lay in his intentions. Was it for political or personal gain?

"As the least trusted of his advisors, I understand that you will likely not heed my words. Still, I will tell you this not because you deserve it, but because _he_ does. There will come a time very soon when Shibuya himself will lay our past to bare. How you see fit to answer will either condemn or save you."

Rather than a rash outcry, the Prince pursed his lips and turned away. That, at the very least, was enough to tell him that he might not be in such a poor position as first expected. Lord Von Bielefeld might well actually love the King.

One could only hope.

Murata wasn't much for gambles that he couldn't win, but he felt like taking a chance on something that he truly believed in…just this once.

"Shibuya never touched that woman. To be fair, you actually saw her before he did."

He certainly had his attention, and he was never more glad that the demon's powers were unusable here on earth. He'd have been a scorched duck already if not.

"Drunk men seem to say more than they intend. Do you know why Shibuya is so confused about whether or not he should be with a you or a woman? You already know that he was raised in a society that does not support same-sex relationships"

The man's snort in response to that was quite appropriate. He was raised here alongside Shibuya and even _he _felt that it was a stupid concept.

"But it's more than that. Shibuya is confused because he's never been with anyone at all…not a man or a woman. He doesn't understand his own feelings"

Murata wanted to give this to him because he wanted Shibuya to be forgiven for a transgression he hadn't intended to make. Ignorance was a terrible curse and his poor friend was quite dense.

"Should he have woken up to her.. What do you think he would have done?"

"Hm"

Lord Von Bielefeld seemed lost to him after that. He was caught up in his own thoughts and, for better or worse, now knew more about Shibuya's frame of mind on the matter.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Shibuya laid in his bed at his parents home, grateful that the room had stopped spinning after he woke from his nap. He was tired, exhausted really, and felt as if this trip had cost him more than he had been willing to give.

When he and Wolfram had returned to his parents home, he opened the portal and sent him back. They hadn't said more than two words to each other until he mentioned sending him back. The Prince was none-too-friendly about his decision to stay on Earth another night but had gone ahead anyhow.

Wolfram let him know then that Murata had confessed to the set up with the female. While it wasn't said out loud, he knew it was because he would have been forced to face being with a woman and what he honestly felt about it. Yuuri recognized that Wolfram didn't want to leave him where Murata could reach him because of this very incident.

A part of him was admittedly afraid to address this particular part of himself. Deep down he knew that what he felt for Wolfram was not just a friendship type of love. He just couldn't seem to look past all of the things this society had taught him about it. He didn't see anything wrong with him loving the Prince, but he also understood that there were limits to their future that were insurmountable.

A marriage to the Prince would mean only ever adopting children, never creating any of his own. There was something different in the way that felt. It also meant that his domestic life would be entirely different than what he had looked forward to his entire life. He had always imagined going out to his job early in the morning, eating a lunch made by his loving wife, coming home late at night to tuck his children into bed and tuck himself into the warmth of his spouse.

The fact that the image in his head now featured Wolfram in his little pink night dress every time he conjured the fantasy was a little comical. Not to mention the whole image seemed almost too domesticated for him now that he had tasted real conflict, real power, real life…

Yuuri got up and made his way to the wash room, deciding that a bath was in order. His head was walking him in circles for the most part. On top of that, he felt like he was covered in grime even though he hadn't done anything at all today. That was a little vexing.

He scrubbed away the nonexistent dirt and rinsed off quickly. As he was soaking in the tub, he thought about the events that had unfolded on this trip. One of the things that bothered him more than his feelings for Wolfram was the fact that he knew the man had used him.

Considering that all of his retainers had and that he had forgiven them, more or less, it was only right that he extend the same courtesy the Wolfram. Politically speaking he was ready to do just that. But he was hurt by it and also by the fact that Wolfram had not said anything to him on his own.

Yuuri recognized that a part of him wanted the Prince to acknowledge what he had done and apologize. If he truly did want him, wouldn't he want the same?

But then again, why would anyone just come out and say something like that? If he was smart enough to utilize him in the ways he had in order to gain his political holdings during his reign, then wouldn't he be smart enough not to say anything about it?

But if he cared for him the way he had thought he did, wouldn't he want to clear the air?

Yuuri growled and scratched his head, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. He wanted the man to apologize but he had no way to do it without being ousted first. Yuuri didn't want to force him to apologize; it would seem so disingenuous!

His feelings for him aside, Yuuri couldn't see forgiving the man if he was only going to keep using him for political gains. He understood that most royal couplings worked that way, but Yuuri wasn't interested in that and would much rather rule alone than to be used for some property or financial boost. The thought of it was too insulting.

This whole thing was giving him a headache.

Seeing as he wasn't getting anywhere, he decided to end his soak and go visit with his family. He needed more than anything to be able to just exist within the arms of his first family without the pressures of his Kingdom, his politics, his social requirements, or his love life. Tonight was going to be for him to simply be Yuuri Shibuya.

~.~ KKM ~.~

The water in the fountain at the Shrine was quite cold. He could feel the chill of it soaking to his bones. It would probably not be so harsh if he had on something more than his boxers, but why get everything wet?

He exited the fountain and took the towel from Lady Ulrike, wrapping it around his torso to soak in some of the warmth. There was no one else there to greet him and while he felt a pinch of loneliness at that, he also understood that things were bound to change eventually. He couldn't live in a fantasy world forever.

"Your Majesty, the King of LuArg is said to have traveled by boat three weeks to meet you and is holding a meeting with Lord Von Christ and Lord Von Voltaire as we speak. You should hurry"

He blinked down at her and absorbed what he could of the information. Who was the King of LuArg and where was this Kingdom located?

Obviously he wasn't going to be able to make up answers from thin air, and currently his advisors were meeting with this unknown person. His stomach turned in a strange way that made him feel ill.

He hurried to change and ran out to the stables, finding his horse and gear ready for him. He tossed his small satchel inside the riding bag and mounted before taking off at a run. His poor horse was going to buck him off one day with the way he ran him sometimes.

As he neared the gates to the Castle, he heard the buzz begin about his return. He needed to look into a private entrance for the future. For now this would have to do. He rode up to the steps of the main halls and dismounted, his reins easily slipping into the hands of the handlers.

His usual visit with the steed would have to wait until his business was finished. He didn't have time to spare at the moment. Without taking his eyes off the Castle doors, he walked up the stairs and into the long halls. His stride was long and firm, his eyes burning with a determination that kept the occupants from interrupting him. Everyone in eyesight stopped and bowed a greeting to him but otherwise left him to his task.

Once he rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, he found the halls empty save for the two sentry's standing at attention on either side of the meeting hall doors. As he approached, the pair moved to open the doors and provide him entrance.

A near deafening silence reigned in the room only broken by the sound of the doors closing behind him. It was telling enough that none of them greeted him as usual, rather shocked in their seats for a moment instead.

"Your Majesty!"

In unison, both Von Voltaire and Von Christ called out to him. He was getting rather sick of these political games they played.

He walked calmly to the head of the table, his eyes never straying from the documents laid out. He could see land information, market requests, and maritime routes, putting together well enough the basics of the conversation at hand.

"Lord Von Voltaire"

His name uttered simply and quietly was enough to send the man from his seat and into the one to his left.

Yuuri took his place and turned to his retainers with a simple smile.

"I'll be observing for now. Please continue"

He turned his attentions to the two men and the one small female that graced his table.

"Your Majesty please allow me to introduce you to our guests. This is the King of LuArg, Lord Dalvin Von Reiser. To his right is his advisor, Lord Armeris Von Niels. And last but not least, the Kings sister and Head of Arms, Lady Lizette Von Reiser."

Yuuri's eyes traveled to each and noted that they had a very European like appearance with fair skin, light eyes, and long flowing golden hair. Lady Lizette, however, had her hair cut short. He found his eyes stuck on her, slightly taken aback at her petite frame and her glowing citrine eyes. She was quite beautiful in that dainty way that made you want to protect her.

As Head of Arms, he imagined she knew well enough how to handle her own. He was most curious to find out if they were descendents of humans or demons though.

He nodded in greeting, unsure of his voice at that moment and not caring to test it out in front of the new guests.

"My lords, lady, this is our King, his Majesty Lord Yuuri Von Shibuya"

He didn't know when they started recognizing his name with a noble connotation, but he wasn't about to correct them. With that he sat back and motioned for Gwendal to continue their discussions.

~.~ KKM ~.~

The talks lasted a few hours and when it was time for the guests to take their leave for the evening, Yuuri bid them a good rest and promised to see them at supper in a few hours.

After that was said and done, Gwendal had called in both Conrad and Wolfram to catch them up on the request of their current guests. Throughout the explanation, neither of them spoke, waiting to hear everything that had been said.

It was Lord Weller that spoke up first and the bit of information he provided made Yuuri look at Wolfram with a new set of questions burning in his mind.

"The land they come from appears to be human from what I can see. Josak is en route as we speak on one of Anissina's inventions, though I am unsure if it will last the journey. I'll expect a report from him within the week, possibly a bit longer. It appears this land is quite a distance away. But if that is the case, then why have they come seeking port trade rights? I would think it would be inconvenient and difficult to travel such distance regularly by ship. Something seems strange here"

He paced around the table, his eyes taking in the map they had that gave them at least an idea of how far the group had traveled.

"If they come from here, then they would make port most often…here"

Yuuri was sitting very unceremoniously on the edge of the table, a knee propped on a chair and his arm lapped over his knee. He looked quite comfortable watching the proceedings but was in fact strung tighter than an over wound violin.

"Those are your lands, land of the Bielefeld's, are they not?"

He looked over to the man he was addressing, watched as he lounged against the wall with his devil-may-care attitude and barely gave him a glance before responding.

"It is"

That being said, Yuuri stood and spun to face the room.

"We'll table this discussion for now. As soon as Josak's report arrives, I will review what he has to say and will decide what_ I_ will do with the Land of Bielefeld's"

He turned away and walked out of the room, leaving a stunning silence behind him and one flaming made Prince in his wake. If Wolfram intended to continue using him for political gains, then Yuuri was going to return the favor.

~.~ KKM ~.~

So, there it is… first actual chapter. There may be a few things you notice, like the fact that everyone uses the name Conrad, rather than everyone calling him Conrart while Yuuri simplifies it. Taken with a grain of salt, that's all I can say. I'm sure there are other thing like that so…salt…yes. J


	3. Chapter 2

"**Lord Von Bielefeld, do you…"**

**2**

Yuuri stood in the center of his bath water, the weight of the day pressing on his chest uncomfortably. The fact that he even considered for a moment trying to use Wolfram's family lands against him bothered the King more than he wanted to admit. Truthfully he did have some say in it but he couldn't just take the lands out from under them unless the family had committed some form of treason. He had wanted to shake him up more than anything but that alone was shameful.

He sighed, trying desperately to let the stress roll off of him and failing miserably. This whole thing put him so completely out of his element that he was acting out and it bothered him. He fell backwards in the water which caused it to splash up around him. As it settled and he floated at the surface, Yuuri closed his eyes tight and promised himself that the water on his face was from the bath and not tears.

He really hated politics.

It took several minutes of floating in his anxieties before he felt like it was time to get out. His head was getting a little light and right now he didn't trust himself not to drown if he passed out from the heat.

After toweling off, Yuuri tossed on his robe and made his way into his bed chambers. He was concerned about whether or not he would be able to sleep and wondered idly if Anissina might have anything that would help him to do so, but then thought better of it. That poisons master would probably put him out for weeks on purpose! Still though, he had so much going on in his mind that he just couldn't un-think; it was a mountain of issues cascading through him like a raging waterfall. He just couldn't shut it off.

"Do you mean to displace the Bielefeld's as a member of the Aristocratic Families?"

Yuuri jumped, hand over his heart as it raced from shock, and stared with wide eyes at the figure cast in shadows in his room. His tone was calm and low, but there was a dark undertone that he couldn't quite pinpoint whether it were due to anger or stress. Perhaps it was both.

He blinked and shook off the foreboding feeling in his bones before resuming his nightly routine. As he reached for his clothing in the chest at the end of his bed, he felt somewhat steadier and found his voice again.

"No"

He could feel eyes bearing down on him, watching his every move with a burning sensation. It wasn't clear if his intentions were good or not and the thought made Yuuri shiver a bit. The feeling made him clutch his robe closed subconsciously.

Yuuri turned to face the man against the wall and nearly screamed when he found him less than two feet away. His heart rate spiked as he stared up into emerald eyes, darker than usual to be sure but that could've been due the low lighting in the room.

"What are you doing?"

He felt oddly off balance, however, when the beautiful Prince grabbed his robe and dragged him closer.

"I have no idea anymore. Why are you threatening my lands?"

Yuuri cleared his throat and placed his hand over Wolfram's, a gentle but clear instruction to let him go. His retainer obeyed and it gave Yuuri hope that this conversation might still be civil enough to manage, regardless of it's rickety start. He was grateful, actually, for the opportunity to clear the air and subsequently, hopefully at least, his conscience.

"Listen, I'm not the smartest King and I know that. In fact when it comes to politics I'm at the bottom of the list. But that doesn't mean that I appreciate being taken advantage of…especially not by the likes of you!"

Wolfram took a stepped back, placing a measure of distance between them that was a little easier to tolerate as far as Yuuri was concerned. He grit his teeth when Wolfram scoffed at him; it sounded dangerously close to a laugh.

"I'm impressed you figured out that much"

"Gee thanks. Did you expect to keep me ignorant forever then?"

Yuuri's eyes drew wide as Wolfram began taking slow steps towards him, one for every step Yuuri took to maintain their distance. Something in his eyes changed to an almost predatory glare and made Yuuri feel like he was being hunted. It was an unnerving thing to go through such extreme emotions so quickly.

"Not particularly, though this is hardly ideal. None of it went according to plan and much could have been easier. You never make it easy though, do you? In the end, I would still…"

His back was pressed against the post of his bed and Wolfram was close enough that he could feel the heat of him everywhere. The Prince stood in front of him, not touching but close enough to almost forget that, his hand poised to either strike or stroke.

Yuuri found it difficult to breathe and even more so not to flinch.

"…have found a way to keep you"

Yuuri did flinch then, the emotional strike hitting too close to things he didn't want to examine right now. The hand that had inched closer towards him suddenly withdrew and the loss of heat from Wolfram's body was incredibly noticeable. It felt like the air was sucked from his lungs.

He felt like a fool. Everything in that statement told him that he was a belonging, a pawn that the Prince wanted to play with.

"So I am…this engagement is…just a political gambit for you"

It hurt to think like this.

"No. Not now at least."

Yuuri blinked in confusion as he tried to work out the meaning behind that. He was dense at the best of times and he knew that, but knowing it didn't mean he could do much about it.

"Huh?"

This time Wolfram really did laugh, but it was a soft chuckle that was very low and…dare he say it…sultry. His head was starting to spin with all this back and forth.

"It certainly started that way, I'll admit that. But even someone like you can understand such a simple thing. I met you that day, insulted you, challenged you. I hated you. You're half-human and you went and proposed. Even being an accident, I couldn't overlook that without some repercussion and the humiliation was never going to disappear. So I challenged you in order to get out of it in both a socially and politically acceptable way. I wanted to humiliate you"

As the Prince sat down at the small table, Yuuri busied his self with changing under his robe. For some reason he felt very self-conscious just then before making his way to sit down. This was the part of everything that he didn't understand, Wolfram's thoughts.

"I was overjoyed when you accepted the duel, so much that I ignored everyone around me. And when we met that day to have our duel I was so confused by your terms. It hadn't occurred to me that you had never seen battle or that you had grown up in a place that didn't exist on the verge of war. What did I know of Earth?"

Yuuri was entranced by the telling of his story, his version of what happened at that time. Wolfram seemed so caught up in his story, in his thoughts and emotions, that Yuuri wondered if he even saw him sitting there at the table with him.

"At first I thought you were making light of it, which made me angry and less capable to decide the appropriate action. I'm very short tempered and selfish, although I've grown to control it better now than I had then. Honestly, I was very proud, well-versed in politics, and spoiled; it's a dangerous combination. I really think that's why you won that day. I gave it my all, but it wasn't good enough because you were just that powerful…and that different."

Yuuri's eyes trained on Wolfram's hand resting on the table, watched as it clenched and unclenched with his emotions. The Prince was an interesting person to be sure, but when he opened up even a little then he became a ribbon of colors that Yuuri just couldn't look away from.

"Everything I expected of you was the opposite of what you did. Everything you said made me question myself. Everything you did made me stumble. I was humiliated that night I met you and again the day you bested me. But that day I was also in awe of you, not that I would have ever admitted it back then. You were beautiful and your power was addicting. I wanted it, all of it, and I was selfish enough to try to take it. Still am in fact."

Yuuri blinked as the words registered in his conscious thoughts. Why that pompous jerk!

"You look absolutely put out by it but I don't care. I realized back then that you were cripplingly untrained and had no sense at all for ruling a Kingdom. But when the throne changes hands, there is a ton of political movement taking place that no one ever sees or even hears about. The entire Kingdom is affected from the lowest to the highest, the Aristocrats and the peasants, and in this case even the humans. I had no way of knowing the type of King you would be and I made ever move necessary to secure my interests, my family line, for any instance. Is that really something to apologize for?"

As Wolfram's hand covered his own, Yuuri looked down at them and considered what he would have done if he had had the sense to do it in that position. He really wasn't sure the answer but it seemed like the most logical…and the most Wolfram…response that he could come up with.

"That isn't why"

Yuuri moved his hand from under Wolfram's and clenched it in anticipation of having to admit this.

"I'm not angry with you for doing what you had to do, what you were trained to do. I didn't want your apology for all of that, but at least now I understand why you did that. Wolf, you've had five years to tell me. Five years that you chose consciously not to say anything and not make it clear. Do you expect me to believe that you want this engagement because you really love me? Maybe you couldn't tell me because even I know that it's not natural to just blurt out that you started out by lying to me. But you spent all this time trying to tell me you love me and then I learn what really was going on. Do you expect me to believe you now?"

Yuuri stood up from the table and started scratching at his head again. This crap made his head hurt so much. He hated politics.

"Gah! I'm asking the impossible and I know that but I still _feel _betrayed! How am I supposed to trust you right now? Why should I believe that you aren't still trying to use me?"

He felt arms wrap around his shoulders, the heat of a firm chest pressed against his back and soaking through him. He couldn't help closing his eyes for just a moment.

"You're so unfair Yuuri…asking me to love you and not wanting to take it when it's right here!"

It was true. He couldn't deny that he was being unfair to Wolfram.

"Shortly before your coming of age party, I realized that everything I did was for you. Incidentally it also benefited me to do so, which was another revelation. It was like waking up from a dream and seeing everything you ever wanted was somehow right there for you if only you would reach out and take it. You can't imagine how disgraceful that felt"

The arms around him squeezed tight and he felt Wolfram's head as he laid it against his own, his lips dangerously close to his cheek and sending incredibly strong signals throughout his body.

"I've spent every minute since then trying to get you to notice me. I'm engaged to you and still the farthest thing from your mind. Do you know how hard that is when I see you every day? Every night? When I know you feel me but you still deny me. That hurts, Yuuri. And yet you still want me to love you? Who is really being selfish here?"

The King felt the shame and the desperation in his voice, felt the weight of his confession as his arms released him, felt his world tilt dangerously when he was spun around to see the very pain he caused so unintentionally. When Wolfram's lips touched his, he allowed him the measure of peace, returned it in fact. When he ran his tongue over his lips though, his body asking to allow him deeper, Yuuri took a step back.

"I- we can't do this"

"You've always had the strangest responses to me. It's like you want my love, but you can't stand it either. Am I revolting to you, Yuuri?"

"N-no. You're my best friend Wolf, you know that!"

The Prince smirked, but it wasn't kind or even enticing; it was dark and danced with something Yuuri didn't know.

"That isn't what I asked you. Yuuri…"

The King took a step back in defense, recognizing the darkness in Wolfram's eyes as something that was most probably going to hurt.

"…can you tell me now? Do you know an answer yet? … Do you prefer women over me?"

Yuuri gasped. He hadn't asked if he preferred women over men; changing the question meant something very different, didn't it?

"What did you think when you woke up next to that blonde woman on Earth? Hm? What went through your mind then? Shock? Surprise? Excitement? Fear? What was it?"

"U-um…Wolf, knock it off. You know I didn't have anything to do with that"

"That's right, it was all the doings of His Grace. And what a grand friend he is to try to set you up with a nice woman from Earth, some human that doesn't even know we exist. But how did you _feel _when you thought you slept with her?!"

Yuuri backed up until he sat on his bed, his legs no longer something he could trust to hold him up. He folded his hands in his lap and considered what happened that day. The pounding in his head, the unreal spinning of the room, the blonde hair splayed at his side, the heat of her body laid up against his own, and those damning emerald eyes.

"Scared…I was afraid. There was this person there next to me and I didn't know who it was, couldn't figure out where she came from. I couldn't even think straight. But the way you looked at me, it was like I had broken something. It hurt…"

He stopped when Wolfram's face was right in front of him, his personal space completely invaded once again.

"…I…Wolfram, I need space"

His voice was low, his eyes squinted as though searching for something, and his body was far too close for Yuuri to concentrate.

"You aren't going to keep denying it are you? After all that…"

"Uh…"

Yuuri blinked as he watched the expression change into something a little more devious, something a little darker, and oddly enough something a little more like Wolfram. He was plotting something again.

"I know what to do with you"

"Eh?"

Yuuri barely registered as his back hit the bed, a strong hand holding him down at his shoulder, the other swiftly undoing the buttons of his night shirt.

"What are you doing?! Knock it off!"

He swatted at him, but Wolfram easily dodged his efforts and continued pulling his shirt apart. Once his chest was bared, he glared up at Wolfram and grabbed the blankets in quiet defiance. The Prince wasn't necessarily stronger than him so much as he had a better position and probably some experience, which was a far cry more than this poor King could say. Yuuri felt a little helpless to be honest.

"You say you don't know if you prefer women. His Grace says it's because you lack experience with either"

Yuuri shivered as a finger trailed over his chest and down his abdomen, stopping at the hem of his pants where Wolfram's lower body started. The blush that took over him was immediate and unavoidable.

Wolfram's chuckle made him twitch unexpectedly and he closed his eyes out of mortification. This was not happening.

"I cursed my brother for having you born on Earth. All the things you were trained to like…and dislike"

Yuuri flinched as Wolfram pulled at the hem of his pants and let it go again.

"You have a strange aversion to enjoying your relationship with another man and all because you were told it was bad. What a foolish notion"

Wolfram's hand splayed over his abdomen, his fingers bent and holding tight to his side, a strangely secure feeling washing over Yuuri at the action. Yuuri was flushed and his breathing was uneven, but he was determined not to lose his self to this pretty boy.

When Wolfram's body came closer, leaning over him but not touching anywhere else, Yuuri almost cried from the tension. His response made him question if he were waiting for more or wanting it to stop. The line was getting a little blurry. But Wolfram's whispered words, that slight desperate undertone in his voice cut him just a bit.

"Why do you reject me when you so obviously want me?"

Yuuri felt his body temperature rising as Wolfram kept playing him like some damn instrument. It was starting to piss him off that he could do this so easily.

Wolfram's teeth grazed his ear, his lips playing gently against his skin as he spoke.

"I could show you things you've never even thought of before"

Yuuri reached up and gripped Wolfram's biceps, effectively stopping the Prince from moving his hand any lower and causing him to rise up so he could meet his eyes. He could see the curiosity in them, but also the humor and no small amount of lust. It made him shiver.

"Wolf…"

He hated how his voice shook, the pleading weakness in it. He hated Wolfram's smirk, knowing that he enjoyed the sound, the implications of it. Yuuri wasn't sure what he was asking but Wolfram seemed to get the message loud and clear. Yuuri's heart raced and his head spun.

"I told you already, I know what to do with you"

Yuuri swallowed hard in anticipation and his eyes screwed shut, wondering if he could handle this situation. He was so not ready to do more than this with anyone, never mind who it was.

In moments he felt the bed jolt and found himself staring at the ceiling, his body cooling rapidly with loss. Yuuri blinked in confusion for a few minutes before he sat up and stared at Wolfram. The Prince was leaning against the small table by the bed and making a very visible effort to calm down. Just how hard was this for him?

"You still can't accept me. I get that it's not something easy for you so I'll give you space for now. But Yuuri, I am going to make you look at me. I love you and I won't let you forget it"

With that, Wolfram turned away and left the room, something about paperwork needing done falling easily from his soft lips.

Yuuri, barely able to hold his body up any longer, fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling in thought.

Wolfram had always been an affectionate guy in private. To be honest, he was always trying to kiss him or hold him in some way or another. Actually, the guy had tried to sleep with him almost immediately after the engagement all those years ago. None of it really bothered Yuuri as much as it used to, not since he had decided to live for this world, for this family here.

But as much as Wolfram wanted him to return the affection, Yuuri simply couldn't do it. He knew that two guys dating wasn't really an issue, and that even back on Earth there had been drastic changes in the tolerance and acceptance of those types of relationships these past few years. But that didn't mean he could just undo everything in his head.

With a sigh, Yuuri decided there was no way he was going to solve this issue tonight. At least the matter of his betrayal was a little more clear. While he never said he was sorry, Wolfram was right in that he had done it to protect what was his and at that time that didn't include Yuuri. In all fairness, Yuuri had forgiven him a long time ago. He was simply hurt by the whole thing and selfishly wanted closure, but childishly went about the whole thing all the wrong way.

He felt like an idiot to be sure.

Starting tomorrow he would have to negotiate properly with the foreign guests. He had this insane urge to prove to Wolfram that he wasn't out to get him or his inheritance. The whole thing was giving him a splitting headache.

At least he would get to see Lady Lizette tomorrow. Something about her was inexplicably attractive, not in the romantic way even though she was quite beautiful, but in that magnetic way some people had that made everyone want to be near them. There was an air of mystery about her that made Yuuri want to get to know her.

Yuuri felt a bit of guilt at having thought about someone like her after what just happened. Then again, it's not like he had asked to be molested by the pretty boy. On the other hand, he really hadn't tried to stop it because…actually he wasn't sure why he didn't do that. When he considered what happened and the fact that he was not prepared to go further but had made no real effort into avoiding that, it made his head spin. Just what was going on with him anyway?

At this point, the idea of being put to sleep for a few weeks seemed like a blessing more than not. If only Anissina's laboratory were closer to his bed chambers…

~.~ KKM ~.~

The next morning, Yuuri met with Gwendal after breakfast to discuss the ideas they had about the foreigners. While he felt slightly bad about it, he was on guard more than anything simply because they were foreigners.

They had already previously decided to wait for the report from Josak to arrive and Yuuri felt that was still the best course of action first and foremost. However, they did decide that it would be best to hold a meeting of the Aristocratic Families once they had enough information to make an informed decision. Yuuri decided to allow the families to vote on the matter instead of trying to sort it out on his own.

With their plan set, Gwendal called an audience with the foreign guests to discuss their intentions for the time being. As they all sat around the table in the office discussing the matter, Yuuri kept sneaking glances at Lady Lizette while avoiding Wolfram's gaze.

His heart was pounding into overdrive every time he saw him today.

"Lord von Reiser, it is our intention to discuss this with our full council, but as they are Regents of their territories, it will be a matter of time to gather and manage this. It is our King's wish that you would remain here at Blood Pledge Castle while we await their arrivals so that we can take this opportunity to get to know each other better."

Yuuri's eyes traveled to the foreign King, watching as the man's head bobbed slightly in agreement. A smile came easily to that man and Yuuri found it somewhat reassuring.

"We would be honored to accept such gracious hospitality"

As his eyes trailed down the table to the other foreign guests, he noticed that they all held that same easy smile. Suddenly he felt a little off-put by their easiness and wondered if it was a conscious effort or if they were simply that friendly. He doubted it very much. Just what were they planning?

Yuuri grunted at his turn of thoughts. Now he was starting to sound like Wolfram.

"Excellent. Please allow the maids to show you to the gardens. It seems the Princess has made a picnic for our guests"

Yuuri and Wolfram both perked up at this. As soon as the guests were excused, Yuuri spoke up.

"When did Greta arrive?"

"She arrived by carriage this morning, your Highness. It was her request that her fathers not be informed until lunch. I believe she wished to surprise you both"

Yuuri could hardly help the almost school-boy sized smile he had when he learned that he would get to see Greta today. His smile softened a little though when he noticed that Wolfram was practically sparkling, his lips stretched wide and reaching to his eyes. The thought brought a flush over his cheeks and a small embarrassed chuckle when Von Christ noticed. After all these years, that old man still looked at him as though he lost his favorite pet. It was a little unnerving.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Throughout lunch, Yuuri looked around at his guests with a strange uneasiness. They were seated around a table in the lower garden while he, Wolfram, Greta, Lady Cherie, and Lady Anissina sat on the balcony in the garden. The odd smile that both Lady Cherie and Lady Anissina had were a bit suspicious, and the way Greta kept peeking at everyone at the table had begun to make him suspicious. The whole thing was making his stomach turn and his mood to sour.

Earlier when they had met up, he had asked her why she had returned so soon since she wasn't due back at the Castle for another several weeks. Her time in her mother's country of Zorashia was crucial to the country's efforts to rebuild so it was a little shocking to see her back so soon.

He got caught up in the memory of her all those years ago when they learned of her true lineage and what it would mean for her future. Those days seemed a lot simpler, although he recognized that it was only his childishness at that time that made it seem that way.

It was really starting to bother Yuuri that even the sweetest of memories could be infected by his awareness of his own ignorance at that time.

His musings were cut short by the screams of his guests and everyone at his table. A small explosion blew the glass of a window one story above them flying out into the gardens below. Luckily it fell to the side and not on any of the guests but it was much too close a call for his comfort and he was already in a bad mood.

Yuuri closed his eyes in frustration and grit his teeth, a smile gracing his lips in attempt to remain calm and speak kindly.

"Is it possible to have your student not damage this Castle for even one day, Lady Anissina?"

The fiery potion master laughed as though a great joke were told, her hands waving him off shamelessly.

"He's quite the prodigy, don't you think so your Majesty?"

Before he could respond with what he thought would be an acceptably biting retort, his daughter spoke up.

"Lindsey! Are you up there Lindsey?"

He watched in near abhorrence as she waved her arms and ran around the balcony to view her oddball friend. How those two had gotten so chummy was beyond him and he really wished he could undo it all. Since Lady Anissina had taken to providing Brat Von Wincott's formal education, his daughter and him caused all manner of mischief.

"Greta!"

His voice was loud and stern, but deep and commanding. It was a trick he had learned in all those years of pulling his alter ego to the surface. The results were always phenomenal and this time was no exception. It was to his great pride that she dropped her arms and bowed her head politely before making her way back to her seat.

"Lady Anissina, kindly remind that boy that this Castle is not a bomb center. I would rather spend at least one winter without drafts due to the numerous repairs"

"As you wish your Majesty"

He noted that all guests had quietly resumed their meals, keeping to themselves during the entire fiasco. It was a gesture that he appreciated, but it also spoke volumes of the way he handled this situation. Perhaps they found him to be too harsh, but really he had hit his limit with this one. Greta flailing her arms like an untrained hooligan was mostly just embarrassing in front of their foreign guests. She knew better but still went on anyhow. Honestly, what was he to do with her?

"Eve, please have this cleaned up"

He watched as the maid bowed and ran off to handle the task. At least the members of his staff were competent.

The remainder of lunch went on quietly and the group dispersed to attend to their errands for the afternoon.

Before Yuuri made it out the gardens, he was stopped by a small hand on his arm. He looked down at it and turned to see the owner, idly noting how he thought her hands would have been larger for some strange reason.

"King Yuuri, my apologies for being so forward but if I may…I…"

He turned to face her completely and cocked his head to the side in curiosity. She was unexpectedly tender and her cheeks were slightly flushed. It was terribly cute.

"That is to say, your gardens…um…"

"Lady Cherie made these gardens. She's quite proud of them"

"Ah, yes, well they are quite lovely. I noticed that there were more flowers beyond that hedge. Is it an extension of this garden?"

Yuuri turned to see the flowers she had pointed at and realized that those were his.

"That is my personal garden actually. Although Lady Cherie is the one that planted those as well"

The lady laughed behind a gently formed fist, her eyes fluttering with the movement. He found it absolutely entrancing.

"I didn't realize men were so inclined"

Yuuri had the good grace to blush at that and turned away.

"Yes well, a good King is able to appreciate the more beautiful things in life"

"Mm, indeed"

He noticed the way her voice dropped and her presence felt heavier. It was almost entrancing the way she spoke with him in this moment. It sent a silent zing running through his veins.

"Would it be too forward to request a tour of the gardens? Despite my title and positions, I do so enjoy the relaxing touch of the aesthetics nature has to offer"

A warning buzzed in the back of his head, a burning sensation that told him to be wary, but he warded it off with a small shake of his head. What harm was there in showing her around? Was that not his duty anyhow?

"I see no reason why not. How about a walk tomorrow afternoon? I'm afraid my schedule is busy today"

"That would be lovely! Thank you ever so much King Yuuri. I look forward to our meeting again tomorrow then"

He watched as she nearly floated away, her graceful steps unheard. Something about her was simply alluring.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Wolfram stood at the end of the walk, his eyes trained on the pair before him. They were too far away to hear, but he found that their expressions were telling enough on their own. As the petite blonde made to walk past him with her gentle little smile, he caught a glimpse of her eyes and was hit with a damning revelation.

The irony was incredible; he felt almost stupid for having to watch this unfold. But one thing his time with Yuuri had taught him was that the man was a model for attracting trouble and he was stubborn as a Dragon and as single-minded as a Hell Paradise Goala. No matter what anyone said, Yuuri was going to do it his way.

Wolfram wasn't entirely sure that he had the nerves necessary to withstand what was going to happen, but he knew that if he didn't then he would never have a future with Yuuri. That was absolutely unacceptable.

~.~ KKM ~.~

There had been a time not too many years ago that Yuuri had stared in awe at the amount of paper it took to run a Kingdom on a daily basis. There were mountains of things to review, approve or reject, modify, update, etc and then sign. He laughed at his own naivety. Gwendal had been assisting at that time and that man's version of assistance was well more than half of what he had required of Yuuri.

These days it took the better part of the afternoon to get through this part. He would be lucky to make it out by supper. However, he wanted to work through this and move on to some of the projects for tomorrow so that he could free up his afternoon for his time with Lady Lizette.

At that thought, Yuuri's pen stopped moving and his eyes glazed over slightly, his mind being lost to the memory of her presence. She really was something else. So much so that he never even noticed when the door to his office opened.

"Daydreaming about Lady Lizette again?"

"Mm…"

Yuuri shook his head and focused on the hand covering his paper.

"Wait what?"

"Psh, you're hopeless. I hope you know that"

Yuuri waved the hand off his paper and resumed his signature before pulling the next down for inspection. He didn't have time for this nonsense.

"I saw the way she looked at you…the way you looked at her too"

His hand froze mid-stroke and he stared at the paper unseeing. The hammer in his chest became heavy suddenly and made him feel light headed.

"I'm going to make you a deal, Yuuri. Take the Lady on her date, hell take her on a thousand. Get to know her as much as I know you want to. And when you can finally decide who you want more, come and find me. But only on one condition…"

Yuuri looked up to the devious, plotting eyes of his fiancé and blinked.

"No touching, not from you or her. If that happens then all deals are off. Do we have a deal?"

He stared up at the man with the conniving eyes and nodded. It was not his intention to be intimate with the woman; he just wanted to spend some time with her and she seemed to want the same.

"Deal"

The echo of the door shutting rang through Yuuri's ears. His pen slipped from his grasp and his breath shuddered under the emotional pressure. He was afraid to move, afraid to think, his hands poised in the air and suspended in time. If he dared think of the bargain Wolfram made just then he might well lose his mind.

There was a part of him that was terrified to do what he suggested not because he was afraid of a date with a Lady but because he was afraid of what it would mean to Wolfram. It was absolutely irrational…and yet…there was a part of him much deeper and much more youthful that wanted to try, needed to know if this was his path or not.

He took a deep breath and reached for his pen again. It had already been decided that he would take the Lady on a walk in the gardens, but now he was planning to take her to other places in the Kingdom as well. If Wolfram wanted to give him space like he'd been asking for all of these years then by his soul he was going to enjoy it.

Whether the clenching in his chest was from excitement or fear, Yuuri would never be able to say. It was certain though that there was a measure of both running through his body and creating an incredible amount of adrenaline. He would need to hurry up and finish these things so that he could start planning out the day for tomorrow.

~.~ KKM ~.~

He's going on a da~ate. He's going on a da~ate.

hahaha


	4. Chapter 3

"**Lord Von Bielefeld, do you…"**

**Chapter 3**

There was a funny sort of feeling in the air, Yuuri noticed, as he listened to the scramble of the pre-dawn hours in the Castle. His gait was relaxed, steps sure of the path they had taken so many times before. The maids scrambled through the outer corridors and prepared for a morning feast as usual. When the King thought about it, he realized that his composure belied his turmoil. Internally, he felt much more like the scrambling maids than the calm Regent.

Today was his private meeting with Lady Lizette.

Once at the track, Yuuri made short work of going through his stretches as he waited for his Godfather. The two of them rarely spent any quality time together these days and so it was no small thing when they were able to train together in the ways they had that first year he had arrived.

There was no greeting beside a small smile and a mumbled "morning" before the two of them went about their routine. Yuuri found the peace of a running companion quite amenable to his mood as of late. His mind was a jumbled mess these days with regards to his personal affairs, and he was sure that Conrad had noticed at the very least. He wanted to talk with him, preferred his council over most, but found it hard to say anything at all.

As each step thrummed against the hard dirt, he found himself lost in his own rhythm, his eyes glazing over in thought. He had no reason to be nervous about today's meeting, but there it was anyway, a shining, glorious, baseball sized knot right in the pit of his stomach.

It wasn't as though he had never spoken with a woman before, but this time it felt different. As thick-headed as he was, even Yuuri understood that the woman had been flirting when she asked for a private tour of his gardens. The thought of it still made him flush with embarrassment.

"Majesty?"

Yuuri laughed under his breath, a little embarrassed at being caught in those thoughts but waved him off.

"I told you not to call me that"

"Of course…Yuuri"

The King smiled and rounded the last corner back to the Castle. He decided to pace-walk the remaining distance as a cool down, but also because it seemed to be the right time to talk with Conrad. It was now or never in his head because he wasn't sure he would have the nerve to bring this topic up again in the near future. How to go about it was confusing so he opted for a neutral opening.

"What do you think of our foreign guests?"

He waited patiently as Conrad formulated his answer. One of the reasons Yuuri had figured out how to read the political room, so to speak, was because of moments like this. Through experience he had come to understand that Conrad and the others were capable of quick analytical thought in order to properly respond to surprises like this.

They were all quite formidable in that way and he appreciated it but also did not. Part of their reasoning and answer were based on providing the information they assumed he was seeking, but nothing more. They still were guarded with everything they said, always calculating and careful of what information they provide…even to him.

Yuuri hated that about his retainers because it painted each of them in a less-than-glowing light and made it sound as though they were still using him. He understood that to some degree they were doing just that, but it was not so self-serving now as it had been in the beginning. The King had come to accept that politics were simply a part of his life and that the closer one was to you, the more that company played the game. It was one of the reasons he and Wolfram couldn't quite see eye to eye.

"The King of LuArg seems intelligent, well poised, and seasoned for political meetings. His Commander is certainly battle-tested and appears to have had his fair share of political involvement as well. Both are suited to a journey of this nature. At face, they appear to be trust-worthy if nothing else"

Yuuri stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground. He figured as much on his own, having been involved with several Kingdoms and able to recognize some of the things that gave away a person's true thoughts and intentions. Yuuri sometimes fought not to bury his head in shame at how grossly outmatched he had been all these years and how utterly foolish they must have found him to be. What was done was done though; he could only grow up and move on at this point.

"And Lady Lizette?"

He didn't dare look at Conrad then. His question was valid and not at all suspicious, but his tone was tainted by his turmoil. The nervousness in him was nearly palpable. He knew without looking that Conrad was studying him for any clue to provide the answer that Yuuri wanted to hear. Unfortunately for him, even Yuuri didn't know what he wanted this time.

"As a Master of Arms, I am certain of her education if nothing else. I would take care the words exchanged with that woman though. No matter their explanation, it is not common or reasonable to bring someone of her position along on a peace trade request"

Yuuri allowed himself the small pity he felt when he heard that. While he wasn't sure what he wanted, he was certain what he didn't want. The idea that the foreigners were there for some underhanded reason was exactly the last thing he hoped for out of all this.

"Why do you ask?"

The King put on his smile and turned to Conrad with a false confidence. It wouldn't do to worry his most faithful bodyguard and Godfather.

"I have a date with the Lady after lunch this afternoon"

His smile felt fake enough that he knew it wouldn't convince the former Captain, so Yuuri made quick work to turn and finish his trek to the Castle. Some of that was from embarrassment after admitting to his Godfather that he would be going on a date. The odd part was that Yuuri kept telling his self it was a plutonic thing and that it wasn't a date per say. But if that were true, then why was he so flushed over it?

When Conrad caught up to him in the courtyard and drew his sword, Yuuri followed suit. They danced and parried for nearly half an hour before anything further was said. Yuuri was clearly distracted by all of this and wasn't putting everything he had into the training the way he should.

"What has Wolfram said about all of this?"

That was tricky bit, wasn't it? The whole affair confused him more than anything else the Prince had ever done in the past. Considering that he was a genius strategist, Yuuri was actually a little concerned about Wolfram's intentions this time.

Yuuri was leaning over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath and thought over the best way to answer. Like his retainers, he wasn't keen on giving up all of his thoughts on things any longer. While he didn't like the secrecy, he did learn the importance of keeping some thoughts to one's self.

"It was his idea to go ahead with it. He'll be our chaperone in fact"

He stood up tall and looked Conrad in the eyes, a level of confidence in his composure helped him to appear more intimidating than he felt, but the indecision in his eyes gave away his true thoughts.

"I see"

Yuuri watched with curiosity as Conrad came closer, his hand falling gently onto his shoulder while a smile of secrets graced his lips.

"Then by all means, enjoy your afternoon Yuuri"

The King blinked in confusion as Conrad walked away, leaving him in the courtyard messy with sweat, grime, and circling thoughts. Why did he feel so uneasy about everything?

~.~ KKM ~.~

Long legs took quick and nearly silent strides through a well covered trail in the outer edges of a too-beautiful garden. He had spent the past hour trailing his King with a foreign Lady all while dodging the more-than-capable instincts of one very alert chaperone. Years of moving in the background and working in shadows gave him an edge when it came to collecting information.

As the couple came to stop under a shade tree, their chaperone stopping with in a proper distance to allow at least some measure of privacy, Conrad found his self a spot to watch in good camouflage. He had no qualms with utilizing his stealthier skills to eavesdrop on some things, especially when it was such an intimate thing as dealing with his Godson's love life.

Part of him was doing this for the sheer interest he had in learning first hand just what the hell was going on, but the other part was here for political observation. He was slightly intrigued throughout the little date to learn that the foreign Lady was quite the master of her own charms. She was pretty, in that soft and tender way that people of a dainty figure sometimes had, but she was also very tricky in character. It would appear she was quite skilled with her words and appeared to be positioning herself well within the Kings graces. She seemed to be attempting to seduce him. He would reserve judgment on that until he had more information.

The date itself lasted another hour and if Conrad read the signals correctly, the King was a little taken in by the Lady. He worried over that for several reasons, not the smallest of them being that their chaperone was also watching and his nature was not so docile as to let this go by quietly. However, though there were many times that his little brother could have lost his temper, he simply kept his hands folded and followed with a keen eye.

As the pair parted ways and Yuuri was left standing in the garden with Wolfram, Conrad crept closer to see what other information he could glean from them about this odd turn of events.

~.~ KKM ~.~

"Would you like me to assist with your remaining duties for the day so that you make your plans for tomorrow?"

Yuuri's heart beat against his chest, his nerves tangled in strange ways and causing a light headedness that made him sway. He felt Wolfram reach out and touch his elbow to steady him and was thankful for it, but swatted him away all the same. It was his presence, and hers, that had caused such a state in the first place.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll finish my duties "

He faced the setting sun and wondered for the thousandth time what on earth he was doing. The Prince stood at his back, his presence welcome but also confusing. Yuuri didn't want to argue and so let it be, closing his eyes to calm his racing heart.

"I wonder what you think of her"

Yuuri had thought up his curiosity and intended to keep it at just that, but found his lips moving in time with his thoughts. His body tensed as he waited for the response that he almost didn't want to hear.

"My opinion is of no importance, your Majesty"

"The hell it isn't!"

Yuuri spun around and faced the Prince with a fury that exposed his insecurities.

"If not as my best friend, then as my retainer. If not that, then as my Fiancé… I want your opinion"

His fists clenched and unclenched with his rolling emotions. It was hard to stand in front of him, to face him after he had taken someone else on a date. It was true that nothing happened other than a walk and some conversation, but it was a good walk and a good conversation with a lot of laughter and generally a good time overall. He felt so damn awkward and he knew that was why he was lashing out at Wolfram.

"As your best friend, be careful what you trust her with because you do not know her very well yet. She's pretty though and well spoken. As your retainer, she outmatches you in the art of politics and seduction, but it is also obvious that she would make a dashing Lady for a King. And as your Fiancé -"

He saw the Prince step closer to him, felt his fingers grasp his chin, and allowed him to maneuver his head to tilt up more without complaint. The fury in his eyes barely came close to the fire burning in those emerald pools though.

"-you do not want to hear what I would say."

His breath was stolen as Wolfram came closer, a tension lingering in the air as his lips came so dangerously close to his.

"I will see you at supper, your Majesty"

He was left breathless and wanting, tense and angry. Whatever it was that Wolfram had planned was far beyond the scope of Yuuri's imagination. That demon had far more experience in this area and in strategic planning in general. Yuuri wondered if he could ever be a match for him at all.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Conrad stood still in the garden, his thoughts circling around trying to understand the odd turn of events. He was there long after the King left the gardens, too lost in his own thoughts to note the lateness of the evening.

On one hand, the date was nothing more than a little time spent with a beautiful lady; things like this occurred quite regularly within royal circles. On the other hand, Yuuri's betrothed was his chaperone for a date with someone else. That entire thought trumped everything else and made it all seem so wrong. What the heck was going on here? What was he missing?

"Your presence was missed at supper"

The old Captain nearly jumped out of his skin and reprimanded his self internally for being caught off-guard so thoroughly. Still, this was a good opportunity to gather the missing information if he played his cards right. He stood and turned to face his visitor, a gentle smile taking over his face.

"I was enamored by a rather unusual sight this afternoon and found myself lost in thought it would seem"

The profile of his companion gave away nothing regarding his thoughts on the matter, a proud set to his shoulders and a calm appearance for what good it would do.

"Yes, I'm sure you did. The conversation was quite boring though. That man doesn't know how to woo a bug"

Conrad forced down the laugh that came up at that statement. It was true that his Godson was not so suave when it came to matters of romance.

"I take it that you will be accompanying further meetings of the two then"

The scoff in return was somewhat expected.

"How could I leave him alone? You saw the type of woman she is and easily she wrapped him around her fingers without his notice at all. Hopeless"

Conrad studied his profile a bit closer and noted the tension in his face, the tautness of his brow. His little brother was not as unaffected as he let on. But then what was the purpose behind all of this?

"They will meet again tomorrow before supper. She wishes to see the night blooms"

He watched Wolfram turn to walk away and wondered once again, and quite exasperatedly might he add, what was going on.

"Wolfram, are you really going to give him up to her?"

The air seemed thin and dry, and he found his sights pinned by fire in emerald eyes, the Prince's fists tight at his sides.

"I would never give him up to the likes of that witch!"

His little brother stormed away and Conrad's eyes fell on the place he had stood not a moment earlier.

"Ah, the jealous Prince is back"

He stepped over the small patch of scorched earth and wondered if the poor foliage would be able to grow back from that. Conrad also made a note not to provoke Wolfram in the coming days. While he did not quite understand the purpose of it, Conrad was able to determine that the Prince was using this charade to reach whatever end he expected. If his expectations were correct, it had something to do with the King's indecisiveness and the trouble it was causing in the Kingdom that he wasn't even aware of as yet.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Several days passed rather peacefully and Conrad began to grow bored of the trysts. He wasn't sure he could call it that in any case because he knew better than most that Yuuri's idea of a tryst was not this old-fashioned.

The pair would walk the gardens, take a stroll through the inner town, or take a meal out in the fields sometimes. But every meeting was a stalled conversation, a good laugh but nothing more, and no advancement whatsoever. The two never even so much as held hands. Hell to be, Yuuri never even tried to kiss her hand at the very least.

While it was confusing in that it made no sense that they would continue without progressing, one only had to look at their chaperone to understand that some things would be more difficult than usual.

However, there was an afternoon stroll in which Wolfram was unable to attend due to his Commandment Duties, and so the pair had gone on without chaperone. Normally this would have been unheard of, but both the Prince and former Captain knew they were not actually alone. Something Yuuri said at that time gave him pause though.

Lady Lizette, while enjoying the butterflies that surrounded her, had caught one on her hand and offered it to the King. He looked like he would reach out and touch it but then withdrew his hand and continued forward. Had Conrad been farther away, he would not have heard the words he muttered to his self.

"Nope, nope, nope. I promised him"

The thought of Wolfram having placed restrictions on the trysts had not occurred to Conrad, but it all made a lot of sense that way. His only entertainment recently was betting on when Wolfram would lose his temper entirely. Lady Lizette seemed to understand that she had limitation and would often test that strictness, much to the King's embarrassment.

While the Prince was away, Conrad noted that Yuuri and Lady Lizette seemed closer than ever. They were lounging quite comfortably near one of the ponds and Yuuri looked to be in heaven. He was a tad excited because it had been a couple days since the last time Wolfram turned color with anger and he could hear the jealous Prince making his way down the corridor at that very moment.

Conrad considered that it had been well over two weeks of these meetings so far and while his previous observations still stood, he would amend that the pair seemed much more relaxed in each other's presence. The atmosphere was that of close friends, if not something more. What an odd thought that were.

He considered the rumors from earlier that the King of LuArg had old relations with the previous ruler of Small Cimarron, King Gilbert. While his son held the throne at this time and was a close ally to the Kingdom, Conrad still had his reservations about them. He would much like to send Josak to investigate this information as soon as possible, but they were still awaiting his report as it was.

He turned his sights back to the pair only to find them doing literally the exact same thing as before. Yuuri was lounging by the pond with a very relaxed pose while Lady Lizette sat closer than necessary at the edge of the pond, her eyes following a small bird playing nearby. He wasn't sure if either of them noticed Wolfram's presence at the far hedge yet, though he very much doubted it.

Conrad turned his sight in time to see Dakaskos running toward him with his hand waving frantically. Hopefully this was something exciting because this scene was getting old very fast. For now, he would go with the soldier to see what was going on.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Nectarines, soft and sweet with a promise of juiciness that made one's mouth water. It was the scent of Summer fruits and forbidden promises. He loved that tender smell so very much that he was sure he might be drooling. The goofy smile on his face gave away his interest, he was sure.

A small and delicate looking blonde woman sat next to him as he lounged in the garden near the pond, her hand dangerously close to his and creeping ever closer. He could almost taste the incredible scent she gave off when her hand grazed his. It was dizzying.

"That is _enough_! Don't touch my Fiancé so informally!"

The scent disappeared quickly and his eyes shot open to reveal that ever-present blue of Wolframs uniform. As his eyes traveled up, he saw the wrist of his visitor trapped in the none-too-friendly grip of his best friend. He could only imagine the fury spilling from the man's eyes as he glared down at the petite woman. Unfortunately for Wolfram, looks were more often than not deceiving and he knew all too well how sharp her words could be, not to mention how feisty she was in general; she wasn't your everyday noble.

"Wolfram, wait!"

He heard a slap and felt a sigh slip from his lips. Resigning himself to the inevitable argument and having to tide over potentially strained relations with the foreigners over this, Yuuri stood and dusted off his trousers. Black really did attract everything but dirt showed through the most.

"Fiancé, hah! The Great Demon Kingdom and it's many allies are very aware of your farce your Highness. He clearly has no intention of solidifying his _accident _to you any time soon…if ever. This constant smothering is your own delusion. You would do well to leave us to our time together. I can give him things you never could"

Wolfram took an unsteady step back as if struck and Yuuri placed his hands out to steady him. He was shocked when Wolfram slapped his hands away though; he'd never done that before. He was further shocked when he heard the deep, guttural voice and the wounded words that spilled from Wolframs lips in response.

"True as that may be, I made my vow. No one will question my loyalty or my love…and you will not touch him, my Lady"

He knew that he should say something, anything to calm the situation. While it was true that his engagement to Wolfram was known publicly as the King's greatest accident and many things had been said about it, he still didn't know what to do about it. Yuuri understood that allowing Wolfram to be hurt so often and so publicly was not right, but he didn't know how to handle the situation.

He watched as Wolfram walked away from him once again, clearly hurting and in need of support. If nothing else, he knew that he couldn't allow that to keep happening.

"Where were we Your Majesty?"

Yuuri turned to his companion and felt a coldness wash through him and he suddenly saw her in a new light. He felt as though her were truly seeing her for the first time and suddenly didn't want to be with her any longer.

He was angry at his self for allowing yet another slight against Wolfram over his own weakness and this time it came from someone that wasn't even involved in their Kingdom. Had the knowledge of his mishap and poor treatment of his Fiancé traveled so far? He felt so much shame in that.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. Thank you for your company. I will see you at supper"

He understood her look of upset but didn't bother to assuage her mood. She was not his concern.

~.~ KKM ~.~

One of the hardest things Yuuri had learned so far as a leader was the importance of setting an example. He had always thought himself to be raised with good morals and a strong ethical compass. But when it came to Wolfram, he always seemed to be doing the wrong thing. Nothing made sense anymore.

Ever since the day Wolfram had turned the tables on him a few months ago after the baseball game, things between the two of them had gone from comfortably awkward to nearly unbearable.

When he had questioned him about his sexual preferences, Yuuri honestly didn't know what to say. And for today, he was no closer at having an answer than he had been at that moment. If he had to choose right now between Wolfram and some unnamed female in the future, he would turn it all down and be celibate the rest of his life.

This wasn't a decision he could make on a whim! But to Wolfram's credit, he had been waiting over 5 years already and had chaperoned multiple dates with a female for him. Yuuri had plenty of time over the years to sort out what he wanted but instead dragged him on dates with someone else.

Who did that to their Fiancé if they loved them so much?

This was something that needed to be resolved a long time ago and Yuuri felt a measure of shame at having taken advantage of Wolfram's grace so easily these past two weeks…hell, for all these years.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Footsteps echoed down the long corridors of Blood Pledge Castle. It felt like he was going too slow, that he needed to hurry, but he was nearly running as it was. If he did actually run, Conrad would surely show up and reprimand him for it. His retainers could be a tad persistent at times.

"Your Majesty!"

Speak of the devil.

"I'm glad I found you. It would seem Lady Lizette has retired for the evening"

Yuuri turned to face the man with the shrewd smile and nodded. It always seemed as though Conrad was 10 steps ahead of him and knew what he was going to say or do before he knew it his self. Even still, he should probably explain the situation and why their visitor left so suddenly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. How do you tell your Godfather, the older brother of your fiancé, that you don't know how to handle the engagement to said brother, and that your guest left a date with you because of the whole messy situation after making a pass at you and you weren't the one to stop her? It was all a very complicated mess and he was sure it was all his fault.

"Wonderful. Shall we be off then?"

"What?"

He felt Conrad's stare as surely as if he were holding him physically and began to walk with him on auto pilot. As his stride caught up and matched that of the older Demon, he turned to ask where they were supposed to be heading and if something had happened.

"A report has returned from Josak and Gwendal is insistent on your presence in the Royal Office at once. I was on my way to find you but you've saved me the trip"

Yuuri stopped walking and shook his head to clear it of all the nonsense. He was so caught up in everything going on that his thoughts had somehow begun circling around Wolfram and Josak and letters. It was giving him a headache simply listening to Conrad.

"I have to do something first"

Wolfram needed him.

"What matter is more urgent than your duties to the Kingdom?"

"No it's just…"

Wolfram was hurt.

"Yuuri?"

What was he supposed to say? How could he explain what was going on when he didn't understand it all himself? He needed time to think, to sort everything out, but he also needed to see Wolfram. He was hurt and it was because he was so unreliable as his King, as his best friend, as his….

"I just need to check on something first"

As he turned away and began walking towards his previous destination once more, he noticed that his retainer was still with him.

"I shall accompany you. If Gwendal comes looking for you before we return, then it would be better if I were present"

Yuuri barely acknowledged the statement and kept walking. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he needed to talk with Wolfram and couldn't really spare any extra energy in decorum right now. He was fairly single-minded when it came to the pretty boy.

This wasn't the first time the Prince took the brunt of an emotional hit like that, but something was different this time. There was a hollowness creeping into Yuuri's chest giving him a sense of urgency that he didn't understand. He felt like his heart was missing from his chest and it hurt. He needed to find him!

The pair stopped in at the stables first, but they had been empty except for Giesela. She was doing her rounds with the wellness checks on their livestock today and said that no one had been in to visit other than her father. The courtyard was filled with many people, but not the one he was searching for now. The road to the Shrine appeared to be empty, the training grounds were filled with soldiers, and the flower gardens, both public and private were empty. His chest was straining under the pressure of his own stress and he wondered how much more he could take before he snapped.

Place after place after place was either empty or filled with everyone except for Wolfram. Yuuri felt like he might go mad trying to figure out where he had gone off.

Yuuri knew that Conrad most likely figured out what he was searching for, or rather who, but he did not want to acknowledge it so openly…not yet at least. It would mean admitting that he was worried and would open him up to a whole bunch of things he hadn't yet faced about this situation. Unfortunately there were only two other places his frantic mind could think of to search, Wolframs bedchambers and his own.

As he made his way towards the private wing of the castle, Yuuri put in an extra effort to look anywhere but at Conrad. He knew without a shred of a doubt that his secret wasn't so secret when he knocked on Wolfram's door and promptly opened it like a madman shortly thereafter. It was a little rude and didn't hold well with propriety but he didn't really care about that right now.

Yuuri cringed when he realized there was only one more place to look inside the castle grounds. If he wasn't there then it was almost certain the Prince had left the grounds. The implications behind that were too much for Yuuri. If Wolfram left the grounds, it meant that he needed to go somewhere that Yuuri couldn't follow. It meant that things were changing even more and that the pain in his chest really was a bad omen.

Yuuri turned away from Wolframs bedchamber in a flurry, his eyes filled with determination and dread. Something about all of this simply felt too real and his anxiety was getting the better of him.

He rounded the corner to his bed chambers and walked a little faster down the hall until he came to his doors. So intent on finding Wolfram, he didn't notice the gentle look of understanding that Conrad gave him.

Yuuri reached out a hand to grasp the handle, not realizing how much he shook in that moment. He turned the handle slowly, praying that the man he was looking for was there in his room, and pushed open the door.

A feeling of cold disappointment washed over him when he realized there was no one there. Wolfram usually came here to calm himself when something like this happened, saying that it soothed him to be near his scent when he couldn't be near him directly. Why didn't he look here first?

If he wasn't here…

Guilt washed over Yuuri and his fist balled at his side. He waited too long to chase him again. This was all his fault and he needed to apologize, but apparently he couldn't manage to do even this much for Wolfram. That hollowness seemed to grow in that moment and it took a little extra effort not to physically show how much it hurt to breathe.

Conrad's hand came to rest on his shoulder and Yuuri dropped his head. He couldn't hide much from this particular retainer and after all the searching they had done, it was clear that Conrad had a working understanding of the situation at the very least.

"If he isn't back by supper, I will help you search for him"

"Mm"

~.~ KKM ~.~

Yuuri sat at the head of the table, his eyes drowned in a short missive that held such damning information. Josak's report was lengthy and so he had set Gwendal to the task of reviewing it. However, there had been a private message for him attached to the report.

"I have confirmed the King of LuArg is a distant cousin to former King Gilbert of Small Cimarron. His sister has been in contact with someone in the Kingdom and has accompanied him to seek you out specifically. Please be wary of all personal dealings with her in particular. Best of luck, young King"

This note, this damning piece of information, was nothing more than a confirmation that he was a total and utter fuck up as a King. He couldn't have worse luck if you asked him. What happened to the days of baseball and school exams?

"Gwendal, what does he say about their request for trade rights?"

His dark eyes watched as his retainer finished scanning the information before looking up to address him.

"It appears the trade request is valid. They have an abundance of waxes, jewels, and precious metals. They lack quite a lot in the matter of farming animals. I will need to look into this further, but I believe that the trade requests are valid at the very least."

Yuuri took a deep breath and closed his eyes, contemplating the best way to handle his next problem.

"When will the heads of the families arrive?"

"All are present except for Lord Von Spitzweg and Lady Von Rochefort. Both are expected to arrive within three days time"

Yuuri turned to Gunter and thanked him for the update. That left his private issue and that slip of paper in his hand. However, although it could affect the business discussions, Yuuri was reluctant to hand over this bit of information just yet. Not only did Josak see fit to keep it private, but also he wasn't keen on selling his stupidity to the 10 families again…especially not Waltrana.

There was too much going on for him to decide how to handle this right now. In all honesty, he would rather only tell Wolfram about it since their outings had been the three of them and he knew that the Prince was aware of her intentions by now. There was no way that bratty Prince hadn't noticed in all that time. But of course he didn't see fit to let his King in on that information either.

With a sigh, Yuuri stood and addressed the room, his hand pocketing the missive silently.

"We wait for the others to arrive. I want no one discussing this until the families have gathered and been properly briefed."

They all bowed in agreement and Yuuri took that as good enough to leave. When he arrived at the door, he paused and eyed the man to his side.

"Conrad, find Wolfram. There is news for him now as well"

Yuuri was well aware that the other retainers would see his instructions as a warning to Wolfram about his inheritance because they never did finish addressing that completely. He would rather them be ignorant to this rather personal issue, no matter how much it affected things overall in the end, and so left them to their misunderstanding of it all.

"As you wish"

With that, Yuuri left the room and sought the comfort of his daughter. While he could not distract her from her work here, it was relief enough to be in her presence. Right now he simply needed peace.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Two days passed since the report had arrived regarding LuArg. According to the information he sent, Josak was also due back within next few days. Apparently the little machine Anissina invented was doing quite well with some of the stones Josak had procured in the foreign land.

Two days passed since Yuuri dismissed Lady Lizette from his company and began a serious routine in the morning and evenings that took up enough time as to excuse him from her presence without causing too much argument.

Two days passed since Wolfram stormed away angry, hurt, and in need of some serious reassurances. Two days with no news, no sight of him, and no information from his retainers as to his whereabouts. The King was tired and frustrated, he wanted a break, and yet the business of ruling went on.

Yuuri looked out over his dais at the families that were present and down to the man kneeling before him. There had been a few issues with this particular person in the past and Yuuri found that he wanted very much to be able to trust him still, but time and experience taught him to keep his distance while keeping a plate at his table ready for him.

King Saralegi had traveled from Small Cimarron at the request of Lord Von Voltaire; it was a move that was not approved but was welcome in the end.

"I am most excited to be visiting your country again, King Yuuri. Your beauty and intrigue remain unmatched"

The problem with the man before him was not a fearsome power or a conniving mind, though he possessed both. It was the issue with his forwardness that Yuuri couldn't seem to get past. Whatever differences they had previously, those were things of the past. But the King before him had no qualms stirring the pot and his direct attitude usually was enough to get that done, especially in a room full of stuffy, old, traditional demons with the power to do something about it.

Since he didn't rule directly over the families, they had the option of interfering whenever they felt the situation called for such a thing - in the interest of the Kingdom only, of course. But Yuuri well knew that the families had their own agenda's. He could only hope they would keep their scheming to a minimum this time.

With a sigh, he gripped the edge of the chair and smiled down to his newest guest.

"You are welcome here, King Saralegi. I hope you find our hospitality to your liking"

The gleam in the young King's eyes was enough to tell him that he would be having his fun and wasn't planning to complain about dirty dishes or less than perfect bedding. Yuuri wasn't sure which would have been worse, but he also didn't want to find out.

After the welcoming proceedings, Yuuri decided that he needed some time alone. There was too much going on around him that he wasn't able to properly focus on. The truth of the matter was that he was too worried over Wolfram's whereabouts.

Conrad had come to him the other night with a report on the wayward Prince, but all he could tell him was that he was safe and in the Kingdom. It seemed to Yuuri that the Prince wanted nothing to do with him.

He thought he would feel relieved at that, or that at least he would have some measure of peace. Instead he found that his stomach was torn to pieces which made it impossible to eat properly, and he was incapable of sleeping without assistance now as well. Last night he had resorted to a concoction from Lady Anissina that consisted of a few sinister plants and some things he had never heard of before then. He trusted the woman to handle at least this much and so had taken the potion.

Last night was the first he slept since Wolfram's disappearance from the Castle. While it certainly helped to sleep, his body was still heavy with lethargy and he still woke with the crushing emptiness consuming him. He was exhausted from the emotional stress. So even though there was a lot to get done and his guests were awaiting his presence at some point in the day, the King could not help it when he fell onto his bed and closed his eyes.

No matter how easy it was to fall asleep, his dreams were filled with the images of his missing friend and him trying desperately to reach his retreating back. He was always just a bit too shy of reaching him, always a bit too quiet to call out to him. His sleep was anything but restful.

When he woke several hours later, his arm was stretched to the sky as if reaching for someone, his face screwed with pain, and his eyes damp with the tears he refused to acknowledge while he was awake.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Yuuri sat at the head of the table and watched as a somewhat excessive meal was placed on the table.

His meal seemed to be one with extra care put into it. The girls took the time to make curry and a number of side dishes. He was almost sure that Conrad had put in a request for a home style meal today. The thought was touching and he felt a little ashamed that he had no appetite. He would try harder for them, if nothing else. With that thought in mind, he picked up his utensils and poised to dig in when he heard a creaking noise.

Never before had he realized how loud the heavy doors echoed through the dining hall. It was always so lively in there that it was hard to tell at all.

Yuuri stared in surprise at the golden blonde locks of the beautiful boy he had missed more than he could admit. The incredible sense of relief he felt made him weak and his spoon fell from his fingers, falling onto his plate and splattering food around him. He didn't care.

Wolfram looked at him and down at the mess he'd made. Usually he would make some type of quip about how un-King-like it was to make such a mess, but this time he simply looked away and went to his own setting to begin eating.

"Please excuse my tardiness. I was held up with some _personal _business"

Yuuri stared at his plate, his breath feeling shorter than before. The dismissal from Wolfram was one thing; he knew how to be patient and work through the Prince's tantrums. What he didn't know, however, was how to interpret the look he gave him just now. There was anger in his eyes, which was expected, but it was a deep and burning anger mixed with a determination Yuuri had never seen before now. It made his heart clench and his eyes water. Just how much had he hurt him?

~.~ KKM ~.~

The post dinner affair went much like usual. Once Yuuri excused his self from the table, everyone else did as well. He went straight towards his private bathing chambers with a young girl in tow, her eyes concerned and filled with a need to understand.

"Father, are you unwell?"

Yuuri stopped and placed a hand on her head, a small smile gracing his lips. She had grown so much these past few years and would be considered an adult in the Great Demon Kingdom very soon.

"You're a good girl, Greta. Remember that and never do anything to hurt anyone…at least not intentionally"

"Of course!"

Yuuri patted her head and left her in the halls to make her way to her own bathing chamber. She had moved into her own private apartments just two years ago when he realized that she grown too much for her to sleep with two men in her bed, even if they were her adopted parents. Right now he felt like he could go back to those days and just snuggle with her all night long.

When the door to his bathing chamber closed, Yuuri could feel the steam already beginning to remove some of the tension from the day. There was too much that happened and at the same time too little. It was difficult for him to process everything and figure out what to do next.

Once his bath oils had mixed in with the waters, Yuuri stripped down and stepped into the bath, settling back against the edge, dropping his head back and closing his eyes to try to sort out his thoughts better.

He hadn't made up with Wolfram and that thought hurt, his chest still clenched every time he thought about what happened and they way he looked at him. Yuuri didn't know how to fix the situation in a way that would not hurt either of them, but at least Wolfram was back in the castle. It wasn't much but Yuuri could sleep tonight knowing that he was safe in bed at the very least.

A part of him wanted desperately to just touch Wolfram, hug him, hold him, something! He thought that if the Prince would sleep in his room again then it would be better. It wasn't unusual to wake up either holding or being held by Wolfram back when they shared a bed, but it had been so long now.

His head shot up when he heard the door to his bathing chambers open. Only one other person was given leave to enter here and the implications behind that thought made his heart pound painfully against his chest. Blood rushed to his head with dizzying speed when Wolfram's face became clear in the steam. The Prince stared down at him with that same look from before and it caused Yuuri to shudder slightly, sobering at the thought that he was not in the good graces of this male at present and yet was here in a most vulnerable state.

"Get out"

"What?"

Yuuri's breath hitched at the crooked smirk that induced on Wolfram's face. He looked like he had a secret, a dark and dirty secret that was about to bring the walls down.

"I have something waiting for you in your room"

He watched as the Prince turned heel and left him in the waters, his blood turning to ice and unable to be warmed by the heated pools of water. Yuuri quickly exited the bath and threw on a robe before making his way to the bed chamber to change into his night clothes there. Something told him that he needed to not keep Wolfram waiting.

When he entered the room however, he lost all substance in his body. The image presented to him made him feel weak and ill in a way he had never felt before. He wanted to destroy that image and never see it again.

There next to his bed on his sitting chair was the Prince in all his beautiful glory with his legs and arms both crossed, a near-deadly smirk crossing his features. On either side of him were two females that looked as though they were about to eat him alive. Yuuri blushed at the nearly pornographic vibe the trio emitted.

The one to his right had long and sinfully dark hair that looked like silk, and her body held the curves that only a fully matured woman knew. She was leaned over from behind the chair, her arms draped casually over the Prince and her lips dangerously close to his cheeks.

The female to his right seemed to be a bit shorter though it was hard to tell for sure. Her hair was short with the same golden blonde as the Prince but styled slightly less wild. She was bent over in front of him, nearly poised simply sit on his lap. Her eyes, dark green and shining with an innocence that he absolutely knew she didn't possess, were locked onto the King and simply begging him to say yes. He felt such a strange reaction to her that he had to turn away.

Wolfram scoffed at that and it forced Yuuri to look back at him. What was going on here?

"Choose"

Yuuri blinked in surprise, unsure exactly what he had meant by that word.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Choose"

"Choose what?"

"Don't play dumb, Yuuri. Choose…"

He watched Wolfram stand from the chair, each of his hands tugging at the females until they too were standing, draped over him like honey on a hot day.

"…one of them"

Yuuri took a step back and shook his head. He didn't understand what was going on at all. To be honest, he was still working out what was happening with him and Wolfram, and here said Prince was telling him to choose a girl.

"I don't understand, Wolf"

"I already know which one you'll pick…humor me anyway"

Yuuri was starting to get a little angry. While he had been known to be dense, he wasn't a complete dimwit. He realized that Wolfram likely meant for him to choose which one he would want, but what he didn't know was if he wanted to know which he would choose for a hypothetical situation or if he was trying to force one of the females onto him in order to soothe his wound.

The Prince was certainly more than capable of such underhanded things, Yuuri knew this, but he had never used such methods against him. And yet he there hestood with two very scantily dressed women whom seemed more than willing to give whatever he commanded. The Prince was an insufferable brat most times, but he was also a formidable and frightening foe that had done unspeakable things.

Yuuri often forgot that there was a dark side to his beautiful Prince.

"DO IT"

Yuuri nearly jumped out of his skin and responded in near auto pilot, pointing to the blonde female.

Wolfram barked out a laughter that made Yuuri cringe, his eyes screwing shut as he waited for whatever damnation he had just brought on his self.

Strong hands on his shoulder and chest pressed against him making him stumble backwards, his back hitting the wall behind him forcefully. The shock of the force knocked the wind from him and he stared with a small amount of fear into the emerald green fury of Wolfram's eyes.

"Look at them closely. Remember them"

The fear he felt was damning and he found that he was unable to disobey no matter how much he wanted to do so. He looked at the two women, both incredibly beautiful and dazzling in ways he had not yet known. While he was a virgin, he was not so young as to be fooled by them; both of those women knew their way around a man's bed just fine…and maybe a woman's bed as well.

Without realizing it, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He didn't want to see them. He wanted to talk with Wolfram.

"You're dismissed"

Yuuri opened his eyes in shock, unsure who the command was directed towards. When the door to his bed chamber slammed closed, he realized he had been left alone with Wolfram. Part of him was incredibly nervous but another part of him was relieved. Had he not wished for this only minutes earlier?

His robe was cockeyed and coming undone but he couldn't care much for it at the moment. The strong, overly warm hand that spread over his bare chest reminded him that he was in the presence of a very strong and self-confident male. Wolfram's right hand was poised against the wall next to his head, holding him close to his body, the heat of him soaking through the chill that had run down his spine.

He blushed when he felt his thigh press between his, a weakness overcoming him at his presence. He realized at that moment if Wolfram had ever truly wanted to take from him, that he would be powerless to stop him. The damning reality was that it wasn't a weakness that kept him from pushing him away…it was because he had no will to do so. The thought made him shudder but it was unclear if that was from fear, disgust, or excitement.

Yuuri felt the heat of Wolfram's thin but calloused fingers run over his cheeks and into his hair, his hand tilting his head ever so slightly and demanding attention. He would not be able to deny him that.

His eyes were trapped in the emerald fury still, his chin tilting up further as Wolfram smirked down at him with his careless anger and those exceptionally soft and plump lips. Whether from anxiety or anticipation he didn't know, but Yuuri licked his lips and blinked placidly at this beautiful beast.

Wolframs face became closer and closer until all Yuuri could see was a sea of golden hair. He closed his eyes and shuddered as those sinful lips whispered against his ear.

"You should have chosen me"

Yuuri realized somewhere between the unknown and this moment, he wanted Wolfram to kiss him. There was a burning need to kiss him and it bothered him to acknowledge that so easily. He was a man, a male with an accidental engagement to him. He shouldn't _want_ to kiss him.

But he did…

"Did you know, Yuuri?"

He felt Wolfram pull away slightly and opened his eyes to see a dark sort of humor in that emerald sea. His whispered words slammed against him with a ferocious weight that only truth could carry.

"You always choose the one's that look like me"

Wolfram pulled away from him completely and walked to the doorway.

"As the King, you are free to do with me as you wish. It seems you wish to humiliate me. But now you can see the truth of it"

Yuuri watched in disbelief as Wolfram smiled to him and bowed low, as one would do from servant to master.

"You don't believe me and you don't understand it, but my love for you is right here. You won't face that with honesty. I will not allow you to dissolve our engagement and I will never stop loving you. Don't you ever forget that"

As the door slammed shut behind them, Yuuri slid to the floor and held himself up with his hands on the ground. The pressure inside his chest rocked him painfully and he let out a lurching cry. When the first tears fell to the stone floor, Yuuri understood that he had hurt Wolfram for far too long and that he had caused this hateful pain in him.

He cried that night for the damning thing he'd done to Wolfram for all these years and for the damage it was doing to them both.

It was no secret that the engagement was an accident. The fact that Wolfram dragged it out for his own gain was a matter they had also addressed. That Wolfram truly did love him was not a question and making him answer to it so often was wrong, Yuuri knew that. And the fact that he was confused about males and females seemed entirely void because as it had been so eloquently pointed out to him, Yuuri did not make his choice based on their gender, he made it based on their appearance.

In every person, Yuuri sought Wolfram. That truth could not be overlooked any longer.

And yet no matter that he knew all of it, no matter how hard he wished to know how to fix it, Yuuri was still unable to face the part of himself which held the key that could fix all of this.

~.~ KKM ~.~

See you next chapter J


	5. Chapter 4

"**Lord Von Bielefeld, do you…"**

Chapter 4

Pit, pat, pit, pat, pit, pit, pat, pit, pat, pit, pit, pat.

Yuuri glared at the ceiling and followed the trail of water to the floor. This incessant pitter pattering of water was getting under his skin in a most annoying way.

Pit, pit, pat.

He slammed the pen down and marched out the door, only returning a few minutes later with a bucket, a cloth, and a scowl. He set the bucket down at the point the water was landing, a tick growing over his left eye when the sound changed to a "plink plink plink plink" noise. He threw the cloth over the top of the bucket to create a catch so that the noise would be drowned out. It wasn't perfect but it was better than before.

With that he stomped back to his desk, yanked down the next paper, grabbed his pen and began writing furiously.

"Get Dakaskos to fix that leak!"

"Yes your majesty!"

The high squeaked response of Gunter resounded behind him as he all but ran from the room either to escape the King's fury or to actually retrieve Dakaskos was anyone's guess. They were all highly jealous of the luck he had in receiving an order to leave the room in the first place.

"Your majesty, if I may…"

"You may not!"

His hand clenched around the pen and he was forced to concentrate on not breaking it. He was furious and had no outlet for it which meant that he got a lot of work done in a short amount of time…and all of his retainers left him alone. Well, all but one.

"Yuuri, we will be taking our lunch in the dining hall. Do you wish for me to send yours up?"

Yuuri sighed and closed his eyes. Something as simple and thoughtful as that should not irritate him…and yet it got under his skin almost immediately.

"No thank you"

As the door closed behind them, he let out a low growl of frustration. His magic was spilling out every so often and his voice was in a near constant deepness that made him wonder how long he would have to put up with this. He was constantly caught in transition from Yuuri to Demon Lord and he was powerless to stop that, try as he might. It took all of his will power not to transform and it was making him very irritable. He could only imagine how oppressive the air must feel to everyone else.

The meeting with the families was taking place this evening so that they could determine the best course of action regarding their foreign guests. The families would have the time needed to deliberate on the matter and also to spend time near the foreigners so as to hopefully better understand them and vice versa. Yuuri expected the affair to last at least the week, possibly longer.

There was also the matter of King Saralegi and his insistent pestering this morning regarding the distance between him and the Prince. But above everything there were the events of last night playing over and over again in his mind as he watched the Prince from afar this morning. Certainly his poor retainers had noticed the small trickles of magic that spilled from his pores or his eyes as they remained nearly cat-like in their mid-transformation.

Perhaps he should give them leave for the day. He only had a few papers left as it was.

He closed his eyes in irritation when the door opened, not bothering to see who it was that came in. He really didn't care.

He felt a hand against his shoulder pushing him back and when he opened his eyes he found that Wolfram had planted his ass directly in front of him on the desk. His eyes dropped into a glare and he huffed at him.

"You're scaring away all the children…and your retainers."

Yuuri scoffed and sat back in his chair.

"Oh we're talking again now? How convenient!"

"Convenience is far from anything we have right now, Yuuri. Your perception of your own thoughts and feelings is so far off…I had to do something!"

Yuuri slammed his fist down and watched in dark pleasure as the Prince jumped, a measure of fear spiking his aura. Still, after only a moment to calm from his reaction, Wolfram spoke quietly, gently in response.

"You have to reign in that beast of yours somehow"

He had some nerve telling him that now. If anything he became angrier, and when he deemed his self capable of responding without causing too much more damage, he was amused at how deep his own voice came out.

"What exactly do you think I should do?"

He watched quite fascinated as Wolfram clenched his hands and his thighs at the same time. It was curious that this state of constant transformation was the fault of he and this brat of a Lord…and that it would have such a delectable affect on said brat. If he were any less of a man, he might even do something about that.

"You need to let it out…Yuuri"

Wolfram was breathless and wanton in his response. If it were possible to be any hotter, Wolfram certainly was there. Those sinful words dripped from his lips and it was all Yuuri could do to keep from grabbing him and forcing him into submission.

He shook his head in attempt to clear out such things. Thoughts like that came easily to him right now and he knew it was because he was fighting against this transformation.

"By my calculations, you should take responsibility for this one."

Yuuri rolled back from the desk and stood up, leaning down and towering over Wolfram, enjoying immensely how well the Prince complied and leaned back for him. When the pretty boy was at his limit, the King leaned in just a little more and told him the ridiculously dirty thought he had running through his mind.

He loved the way the Prince blushed and the way he grabbed his arms to hold him steady. Allowing Wolfram to use him as support was one of the few things that made Yuuri feel powerful.

"If all you intend to do is tease me then you'll need to try harder."

Yuuri leaned down and scraped his teeth over Wolframs neck, working his way up higher.

"Do you honestly expect me to listen to you now?"

He placed a hand on Wolfram's knee, gripping it slightly before sliding his hand slowly up his thigh.

"Perhaps I should push you to the edge with me…and leave you wanting"

He gripped his thigh hard, eliciting a grunt from the blonde as his body jerked in response again.

"I am allowed access to your harem by your decree"

Yuuri bit down on Wolframs ear lobe, eliciting a small whimper from the Prince.

Yuuri sucked the earlobe into his mouth and pulled him closer to the edge of the desk, his hand grazing over a rather nicely growing bulge, all the while relishing in the knowledge that he could do in return what this insufferable Prince had done to him all this time. He gripped his thighs with both hands this time, enjoying the way his body jolted against him, and laid his cheek against Wolfram's to whisper in his ear.

"Yes you may"

As the King's hands undid the lapels of his coat, Wolfram's breath caught on his name and he whimpered. He needed to leave the room soon. This was getting too intense and Yuuri was going to regret this. When he felt the heat of his bare hand move lower under the edge of his pants, Wolfram was clearly panicked.

Neither of the men noticed the wide set of eyes that backed out slowly after walking in on such a private moment. This was definitely something to tell the maids.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Ken Murata fancied himself an open minded man. He had been born with memories belonging to other people, different lives that housed the soul he currently housed. One of those lives had been lived as a woman…a woman that had taken a lover that was apparently quite insatiable.

In all the lives he could recount, he could not precisely recall the most prominent aspect of the actual memories which was the emotions that were invoked with those fleeting moments of life. His was more of an overall understanding of the emotion rather than feeling it again. For instance, he knew that when he lived as a woman she was happy to entertain her most favored lover, but that she did not love him outright. In fact, she had never loved anyone for all her long life.

Because of this ability to understand a multi-faceted life and the myriad of emotions that come with such a thing, it wasn't hard for him to be able to look at both men and women as potential partners.

Unfortunately his friend was not so lucky. Shibuya was raised in a place where such thoughts were banned, taboo, and in some cases punished or targeted. Also unfortunately for his friend, Shibuya seemed to be of the same orientation as Ken Murata, though seemingly unable to accept that notion.

To further aggravate the situation, life saw fit to pair him with one of the most aggressive, possessive, self-centered, capable, able, willing, and potentially unscrupulous men alive. Said man had seen fit to throw a curve ball at the King by forcefully shoving the emotions that King felt in his face and telling him to chew hard. Shibuya did not respond well to being forced into anything and the Prince of all people should have realized that much.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, which ought probably to have been foreseen, his friend was currently stuck in the middle of a transitory state wherein he retained his general innocence as the boy raised on Earth but could not hold back so easily the desires of the Demon Lord that had clearly already laid claim to one tsundere Prince. Couple that with the fact that Shibuya was a 20 year old virgin and you have yourself one potentially disastrous little cocktail.

Still, Ken saw this as a good opportunity to get Yuuri to face himself and make the choices that he had been dancing around these past 5 years. The stupid Prince, however, was so worried about him that he had actually sought his assistance in putting the leaking magic back into place so to give Yuuri his peace back.

Ken was sure that Wolfram was actually looking to gain a measure of peace for his self if the rumors of late were anything to go by.

In any case, considering there was no real love lost between he and the Prince, Ken understood the gravity of his coming to him for assistance. It was for this reason and this one _only _that he even considered helping before forcing Yuuri to look into the proverbial mirror.

With a sigh, Ken set about mixing the remaining ingredients that he'd confiscated from Lady Anissina's laboratory with no small amount of apprehension. While he had no doubt she would have given him the required items without fail, he was also certain that she would have insisted on hosting this event with one of her inventions and an altogether made up concoction.

He could appreciate her sense of science, but this wasn't a matter to be messed with and he really wanted to just get this over with. Hiding from that woman was difficult to say the least. And as he mixed the last of the ingredients and poured them into the small vial, Ken felt a level of satisfaction at his own work and the success of his being able to do so without the proud demoness catching him.

Now the question was how to get the King to ingest it. There were several problems at hand here. First was the option to hide the potion in his food. The downside to this is that the Demon Lord has a better sense of everything in his surroundings, including scents. If he were to discover it, then things could get nasty.

Second of these options was to ask him to drink it directly. The downside there was the very real possibility that the Demon Lord would not simply want to go to sleep. The entire reason this was happening was because of an overwhelming sense of incorrectness, incompleteness that Yuuri was struggling to handle in his human form. The Demon Lord clearly wanted to be in control of this situation so that he could finally finish this.

In this case that would simply be the body of the Prince, a thought which made even Ken Murata blush. However, this option was off the table simply because the King his self would not accept this.

Shibuya was always quite the troublemaker…or rather he was always the one with poor luck.

With all that in mind, Ken Murata set out in search of a spoiled Prince to give him his gift.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld was a proud demon. There was no sense in denying it. In fact, his first realization of it was as a child in school. There had been a small group of children that poked fun at his name and he had allowed the bullying simply because he had no retort to offer. But his brother had come along some time after learning about it to cheer him up.

He was told stories of men that were seemingly weak, too pretty or too frail to be very manly. His favorite of them was a story of a beautiful Prince that had a power so strong in him and so silent that it was always a winning trump card. Everyone underestimated him because they judged him before they knew how strong and noble had was. And soon his name preceded him, but by that time no one judged him so harshly anymore. They were in awe of him and swore their lives to him so that they could be near his greatness.

As a child he wanted to be that man so very badly. And at the end of it, he learned that the man in the story was his father. He had decided then and there that he was proud of his name and his lineage and that no matter what anyone said, he would not be ashamed any longer.

Some say he's stubborn, but he prefers to think of it as a strong sense of confidence and decisiveness. He was confident enough in himself and his lineage to carry it proudly through the many years of bullying. It was easy for him because once a decision was made there was nothing more to be said. He was confident in all of his decisions because none were made lightly.

Shibuya Yuuri was also a proud man. He stood on good morals and strong ethics. His lineage was also one to be proud of, and as such Wolfram was proud of it for him.

When Yuuri had first come to The Great Demon Kingdom, Wolfram didn't like him …not even a little bit. He was young and naïve, stupid in a way that was embarrassing, and half his blood came from a human. And when he struck him as he did, there was no way Wolfram was going to let him get away with it.

Looking back on it all now, knowing that Yuuri knew nothing of their customs or traditions, and knowing now that he was a man to stand on his morals…well, Wolfram could see how the whole thing had played out for Yuuri. And all of that was perfectly fine; really it could have all gone so differently. If they both hadn't been so hot headed, then Wolfram could have looked at it diplomatically and allowed him to dissolve the situation before anyone else knew about it outside of that room.

The trouble with that was simply that he was…is… a proud demon that makes a decision and doesn't back down for anything. He stands on tradition, and values honor and loyalty above all else. As such, that duel would have given him the right to dissolve the engagement with a little upper hand and dignity. But if he lost, then it could have just as easily been dissolved at that time, though he would have lost face for a short time. And politically he would have been in a favored position no matter what outcome had occurred; therefore, a small loss such as that was an acceptable price to pay.

Wolfram never intended for this engagement to go on longer than that first day, but there turned out to be so much opportunity in that frail and untrained King at that time. And besides all that, nothing he planned when it involved the King ever went the way he expected.

That first day when that battle was lost, Wolfram found his eyes glued to the strange double black. He was more powerful than he had expected, more dignified than he thought he could be, he commanded a level of respect that Wolfram could not ignore…and it all irritated him to no end. He was not in love with him then, but he certainly wasn't about to let go of him after that.

Now, however, looking back on everything that had happened, he wondered if he had let him go…would Yuuri have been happier?

A knock rapped on his door and he turned his head to see who it was. He was feeling out of sorts and didn't much care if anyone saw him being so laid back right now.

"Yes"

The door opened to reveal one of his least favorite people and a bottle that may just save them all. He sat up straighter and nodded to the man in the entryway, allowing him to enter his room.

"This is a powerful potion, Lord von Bielefeld. There is a certain odor to it that Shibuya will be able to detect and as we both know that his darker side is vying for control. That being said, I cannot think of a way to get him to drink this"

Wolfram thought about it for a moment and then smirked.

"Can I give it to him by mouth?"

He noticed the Wise One's blush and almost laughed. In some ways, he and Yuuri were a lot alike. It was these things that made the Wise One at least tolerable.

"If he would be amenable to such things, then yes"

"Oh he's amenable to quite a lot as he is right now. If it weren't so underhanded, I'd simply keep him like this"

It was funny that people always underestimated how devious he could be. The Wise One was clearly shocked by that statement, but really that was ludicrous. He of all people should know by now the lengths he would go to get what he wants and Shibuya Yuuri has been at the top of that list for quite some years.

"Is that so?"

The interest in his tone made Wolfram pause.

"I was under the impression you wished to save yourself from being molested around every corner…"

Wolfram scoffed at the very thought of it; what male would ever want that?

"Exactly how compliant is he now? How different is it from before?"

Considering his options, the Wise One was likely his best option for getting this information sorted out. He figured he ought to share a few details…but maybe not anything too intimate. The thought brought out a deep blush in him as he remembered the way Yuuri played him like a piano just the other day and how incredibly difficult it had been to escape with the little bit of unmolested bare flesh he had left. Were he any less of a demon, he would have let him take everything.

"That is a very telling answer, Lord von Bielefeld"

Wolfram smirked at his interest and sat down, motioning for the Wise One to take a seat.

"What I tell you does not leave this room or your lips. You're too loose as it is already and I won't have this coming back on Yuuri"

The Wise One made a motion of sealing his lips and so he supposed that was the best he would get out of him. He knew damn good and well that this particular person was not adverse to stretching the truth to fit his agenda so he certainly didn't trust him, but he was once again the only person that could help right now.

"Yuuri is almost completely different. Before all this happened, he… I mean we only um, you know…"

"Kissed? French or soft? What about heavy petting? Or maybe oral?…"

He just kept going and going, but some of the things he rattled off made no sense to Wolfram anyway so he shook it off. It was tad annoying though.

"This isn't one of your perverted books, Your Eminence!"

"Eh, hehe…seen those, have you?"

Wolfram knew better than to yell at or insult the Wise One, but he was really hard pressed not to do it.

"Eh hem! Anyway…we usually just kissed, _but _Yuuri never really started it. That was always me"

"Oh? So now he instigates that?"

If his blushing was telling a story then the Wise One was getting an earful.

"Lord von Bielefeld, just how far have you and Yuuri gone together?"

That was a million dollar question. The whole nation was asking that question, though for different reasons, and here he was about to tell the man he trusted the least of all the 'trusted advisors'.

That moment however, there was another knock on the door. Wolfram hid the potion away and called for the person to enter. He and the Wise One both turned their heads to see Conrad enter with a slight scowl on his face.

"Now now Lord Weller, this is actually for educational purposes, despite what it might seem"

"I'm sure it is, Your Eminence"

"Were you listening to our conversation!? You pervert!"

His brother seemed unaffected by his outburst and that made him all the more suspicious of the man. He was as bad at the Wise One! Unfortunately he found his brother taking a seat just to the side of them and settling in for the discussion.

"I do not recall inviting you into this conversation…or my chambers for that matter!"

"Be that as it may, third son, my duty is to protect the King above all else, even the desires of his own fiancé. Do continue"

He had enough grace to blush at the reality that this information was actually necessary and that at some point the whole damn kingdom was going to know when they had sex. That made his stomach turn a bit.

"Fine. Like I said, we only ever kissed before and I'm the one that started it. Ever since his magic started spilling out though, Yuuri corners me whenever he sees me. Now he's the one that is instigating kissing…and other things"

"By other things…what exactly are we talking about?"

"You're such a pervert Your Eminence"

The way he smiled told Wolfram that he was proud of that fact. It wasn't surprising really.

"It's just touching and kissing. We haven't had sex, ok?"

"That is normal, but have you ever made him…you know…?"

He was going to die. He was going to burst a gosh damn blood vessel and keel over. Who asks this kind of stuff?!

Wolfram tried to respond but he was mostly choking on hot air and disbelief. How could he think that…

No words would come out but he was able to shake his head in the negative.

"While it would not be official, that would certainly be a form of consummation so it needed asking. My apologies again"

Wolfram's head shot up at that, words connecting and his opportunistic mind finding plausibility in it. It would have been a technicality to be sure, but the potential was there. There were plenty of times he'd wanted to try at least a few things but he always held back for one reason or another. And now his brother sat there bold as day telling him that, though by technicality only, their marriage could have already been recognized as official if he wouldn't have been such a _wussie?! _

"Would it count now even if he's in this state of mid-transformation?"

He watched as both the Wise One and Conrad stood and made their way to the door.

"The question is, little brother, is that how you want him to remember it?"

Well no, but it was still a very intriguing thought.

"I'll get him to take the potion"

Conrad's all-knowing smile…it was going to be the death of him one of these days.

~.~ KKM ~.~

Yuuri was a patient man; this was not a maybe, not a question, it was fact. He was patient.

"SOMEBODY STOP THIS INCESSANT DRIPPING!"

He was patient.

"Tsk Tsk love. It's such a small thing too. Why not simply go to a more comfortable room?"

He watched as Wolfram closed the door to the Royal Office and stood there, not leaving the vicinity. He knew damn well why he wasn't leaving that door and it was all the more intriguing for him.

"Afraid of the desk are we?"

"You wish"

Oh that voice of his could be sinful. Wolfram always spoke deliberately, even if at times it was a bit loud and obnoxious. When he was composed though, oh that voice of his was absolutely regal. It fit him, truly, in as lavish a man as he could be his voice was simply another decoration that seemed to be made just for him.

Yuuri shook his head to clear his thoughts and ran his fingers through his hair, muttering under his breath.

"What is wrong with me?"

He missed the worried glance Wolfram sent him and truly would never know he had ever looked at him that way. When he approached the Prince at the door, he saw him move carefully to open the latch.

"Oh… is it me that you're afraid of?"

"Not exactly. Actually I was hoping you would come with me"

Yuuri tilted his head in interest. This was the man that he couldn't get out of his head and also the one that had been avoiding him so thoroughly until a few days ago. Well to be fair, Yuuri was the one seeking out Wolfram at every possibility. And now that delectable Prince was asking him to come with him. Who was he to deny such a promising thing?

As the two of them walked the familiar halls, he realized they were heading to his bed chambers. While he was curious as to the reason for this, he decided to keep it to himself and see what was going to happen. There was very little that didn't set him ablaze with irritation right now and apparently pretty boy over here was one of the things on his good list currently. He still set him ablaze but it certainly was not with irritation.

Wolfram held the door open for him and Yuuri graciously took the offering, his mouth salivating at all the shameless thoughts running through his mind. Once inside, he heard the door shut and the slide of the lock immediately following. With a slight smirk, he turned around to face his very interesting captor.

"For what reason would you need to lock that door, Wolf?"

He saw the smile that crossed this sinful man's lips as he licked them with obvious intention. Something in that smile told him there was something to be had here. He blinked languidly and waited with as much patience as he could muster.

"Yuuri…your magic needs to be put back into check. I am going to help you"

This was a surprising turn of events. How exactly did he plan on doing this?

Yuuri watched with growing interest as the beautiful Prince came toward him, intention spilling from him in waves, watched in fascination as he drank something…liquid confidence maybe? He could feel the tension as he crossed the room to him, felt the intensity as he grabbed his face with both his hands, and gasped at the honesty he felt in his kiss. It felt almost like an apology.

When his tongue crossed into his mouth he was shocked, but it gave way to pleasure easy enough and he found himself grabbing at him and pulling him close.

Something burst in him and he felt his resolve to push him away coming back with a force, but another part of him, a more curious and neglected part of him wanted to know what would happen, what wouldn't. He didn't know how far he was willing to go with this man but he was curious to find out.

There was a pinch of disappointment that slashed through him when he felt Wolfram pull away. He was still confused, he still wanted to know how far he was willing to go, and yet he still felt that this was wrong somehow.

Thoughts started crossing through his mind, flooding him with doubt and arguing over the pointlessness of it all. He didn't understand what was happening and it scared him just a bit. He began to feel nauseous and reached out.

"Wolf…"

Said Prince gathered him into his arms and Yuuri suddenly found he was being carried bridle style. His hand gripped the front of Wolfram's coat and a small whimper spilled from his lips. He wasn't in pain so much as a nauseating spinning sensation taking over and a weakness that he was not enjoying in the least.

"It's going to be okay now. I've got you"

That was the last thing he heard before he let sleep claim him. Anything was better than this and Wolfram was going to take care of it. Everything would be fine as long as he was there.

~.~ KKM ~.~

"How is he doing this evening?"

"Better. I expect he'll wake up soon."

"Good. I've missed him"

"So have we, Greta. So have we"

"What about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine"

"You don't look fine. Have you even slept?"

"I'll sleep when I know he's safe"

Silence reigned and Yuuri was able to concentrate if only a little better. He felt heavy as though the weight of a thousand elephants were holding him in place. The voices he could make out were definitely Wolfram, Greta, and Giesela. He hadn't heard anyone else talking but he didn't really care.

At the moment he wanted more sleep, but first he needed to let Wolfram know he was okay. The damn Prince would stay up for days at the cost of his own health just to make sure that his King was well. Such an insufferable demon he was.

He tried for several moments and was able to finally lift his hand maybe a few inches. He let it fall onto something hard but pliant and heard a very surprised grunt next to him. Greta and Giesela's signature laughs rang out then.

"I think he's telling you he's okay, father. Maybe you should get some rest now?"

"Y-yeah… maybe"

He felt Wolfram slide down next to him and heard the door shut not long after. They must have left them to rest. He felt the breath of his Prince on his ear and his soft whisper before he fell back into his sleep.

"Pervert"

Yuuri could only guess what it was he had grabbed just then.

~.~ KKM ~.~

"Hey hey, did you hear? The King and The Prince finally completed their consummation."

"What?! Are you serious? After all these years…I thought it would never happen!"

"Right? Oh I wonder if they'll hold an official ceremony now…"

"Who do you think will wear the dress?"

"Oh it just has to be Lord Von Bielefeld. He always looks so dreamy in everything he wears and he's just so beautiful!"

"Yeah, but the King looked absolutely stunning in those dresses at the last tournament. He could really pull off a well done wedding dress as well"

"True but he's King. He needs to wear the Kings cloak"

"yes yes, you're right"

"I wonder when they'll announce it!"

The tavern was abuzz with a rumor that had traveled low over the course of a few short days.

~.~ KKM ~.~

The guest suites at Blood Pledge Castle were nothing to sneeze at, given the original construction was built to be lavish enough to appease a very rambunctious King. The maids of the castle knew well how to care for guests as well, and it was always pleasantly surprising to see them undertake the task so well no matter how many guests filled the rooms.

The entire wing was full, had been in fact for just over a week, and yet not one of the guests had a single complaint. For the most part, the only thing that could potentially have been an issue was how difficult it had been simply requesting an audience with the King or even just an afternoon meal or tea. The King was young, but he'd been around long enough to learn the ropes well enough to be able to handle something like this. Clearly there was something else going on here.

Waltrana turned his head at the sound of a knock on his door. He motioned for his retainer to bring the guest in, knowing full well his guards would not have allowed them to knock if there had been any issues.

The door opened to reveal a young man in long garbs. This particular person held a very feminine air about him and the long, silky hair, gentle eyes, and easy going smile did not help him to appear any manlier. Waltrana certainly enjoyed the aesthetic of this person, but he did not particular care for his personality.

"Lord Von Bielefeld, good evening."

Waltrana stood and invited him into his sitting chambers, requesting a pot of tea as well for their conversation. This was going to be a very revealing evening if everything went to plan.

While it had taken some work for him to support the current King and even more for him to accept his nephew's betrothal to him, the fact remained that he had decided years ago to give them both his full support. He was a man of his word and had no intentions of going back on that, not now or ever.

This man in front of him however had a penchant for pranks and often it would seem they included meddling with the personal lives of other people. Waltrana typically would not get involved in such things, but the current interest of this young man just so happened to be his nephew and the King.

"Have a seat King Saralegi"

He waited for his guest to sit down and followed suit, his ever-present shadow standing just behind the seat he chose. There was a tension in the air that was not entirely uncomfortable, but it reminded him that this was no friend of his.

"Thank you for inviting me for tea this evening. I was actually looking forward to meeting you personally once I learned your relation to Prince Wolfram. He is quite interesting and beautiful as well."

Waltrana nodded in agreement, unable to argue any of the points he made. The words put him on edge though, a sharpness in the way they were said made him wonder what this man was planning.

"My nephew is also Commander of his private army and the King's Guard. As his guardian during training, I could not be more proud. His hundredth year will be a true Nobleman's celebration"

"What is the significance of the hundredth year? Forgive me but as I come from the human territories, the only celebration we know of at one hundred years is the fact that we are still living or that we have passed and someone is celebrating our anniversary of life"

He knew, of course, that humans lived shorter lives than demons but it was always shocking to hear it said out loud just how short those lives truly were. It was shameful because that was, from Waltrana's recent experience, the reason why they failed to measure up to a demon on the whole. If they had the opportunity to live longer, the benefits would be immeasurable.

Then again, humans tended to breed quite fast and if they lived as long as demons then the populace would overrun the world much too quickly. It was cruel to consider, but there was a design much more grand than his thoughts could fathom that made it perhaps justified that humans lives were so short.

"The hundredth year of a demon is a right of passage of sorts. After becoming an adult, a demon sets out to accomplish that which was vowed at the coming of age ceremony. For my nephew, he vowed to live his life with justice, honor, loyalty, and by the sword for the Great Demon Kingdom. His hundredth year celebration will be an event to honor that which he has accomplished so far and to reinstate his vows"

He watched as the young King contemplated what he learned and already Waltrana could see the slippery little wheels turning in his head. This was a man to be wary of to be sure.

"Prince Wolfram has certainly accomplished quite a lot and I'm certain I've not even heard the half of all he's done. You raised him well Lord Von Bielefeld."

The door opened then to reveal one of the maids carrying a pot of tea and cups along with a small plate of tea cakes. Let no one know just how much he enjoyed those sinful little bricks of sweetness. His eyes sparkled at the thought of eating one.

Once the tea was poured, the maid left the room once more and he looked up to resume the conversation. The young King seemed to have more to say about his nephew though.

"It is concerning then that he is King Yuuri's betrothed, is it not? Considering his vows, there isn't room much for him to dedicate a life to a King in that capacity. Certainly King Yuuri would require a fully attentive mate, don't you think?"

Waltrana sipped his tea and watched as his guest chose from the many cakes laid out. His demeanor was unfettered, completely at ease with his game, and Waltrana found his audaciousness a bit intriguing if not a little offensive.

"Quite the contrary actually. His vows are perfectly in synch with what one would expect of a mate of the Demon Lord."

"Oh?"

He set his cup of tea back down and folded his hands in his lap, a calmness coming over him with his confidence in this matter.

"As the King's mate, his only goal would be to serve him. There is no greater way to serve with justice, honor, and loyalty for the Kingdom than as spouse to the Monarch"

"Ah yes, but what about that last part about his living by the sword for the Great Demon Kingdom? That would be forfeit upon marriage, would it not? Forgive me for my presumptions but even in the human kingdom the spouse of the Crowned Head is required to give up all personal endeavors. A captain, a soldier, or even a commander would have to give up his position if he were to marry the Crowned Head. Is it not the same here?"

Waltrana looked hard at the young king, his hand folding from habit more than intention.

"The Kings Guard is a required position held only by the most qualified. The spouse of the Crowned Head would be well placed in this position for many reasons, the most obvious being the private protection of both spouse and King."

"Very true. The requirements of a Commander are taxing but none better to serve the King than the one closest to him. On the other hand, were he to be sent to a battlefield in times of war then the King could easily lose his spouse. Without his mate, the King risks instability and an unstable King breeds an unstable country."

"The presence of war has long been negated and our present King has made efforts previously unheard of to secure that future. You know his abilities in this well yourself. Do you question his ability to maintain this?"

Waltrana was intrigued by the arguments of the young King, much of that was because he had questioned this his self not a few short years ago. However, in those short years the King had proven his ability to join nations and enemies in ways only the first King had ever dared to dream about.

"It is not his ability that is questioned. King Yuuri is the most capable demon I've ever met. His single-minded drive for peace is both stupid and impressive. He has single-handedly joined together most human nations and most demon nations in a world peace treaty effort. In fact, the guests that brought you here now are here for that very reason. Word of the King's endeavors have traveled far"

"Through no small effort of your own"

"Naturally. However, that is not always going to be the case, is it Lord Von Bielefeld? Demons live a long time and the cycle of life includes both the good and the bad, so war is an inevitable part of the future. Whether that future is to happen while Yuuri is still King or not is the only thing that is unknown here. And if it were to occur under his rule, then the Commander of his Guard will no doubt be sent to the battle and the King may very well lose his spouse, which would cost him his soul. If that were to come to pass, then where would the world stand in it's bid for peace without that fearless stupidity of King Yuuri? We all know how much he loves your nephew. I wonder though, do we all love him enough to wager our lives against an unknown future?"

Waltrana sat back and contemplated the gravity of those words. It was not a new concept to him, but to hear said towards him was something different.

"That future is one of millions of possibilities. Consider also that the Commander of his Guard would just as likely be positioned within the Castle as protection to the King. I would bet on them for the long run. That was the decision I came to long ago and time with them has only solidified my decision"

"I wonder if the other families share your opinion. It would be a shame to see in-fighting over those two again"

He watched as the young King stood and bowed to him before walking away. His parting words froze something deep within his veins though.

"A little bird told me something interesting about those two. It seems that the townsfolk are under the impression that the King and your nephew have consummated their agreement. Legally that would bind their marriage. That would be great news for them and for you…if that were true of course"

The closing of the doors jolted him from his thoughts and he felt a measure of panic come over him. What had those two done? And what exactly was King Saralegi doing? In the end, he hadn't revealed a damn thing!

~.~ KKM ~.~

Right then, about the mini hiatus: I had to move a lot sooner than expected and only recently got my internet up and running. Sorry about that.

The chapters are going to come a little slower because of the lack of time I've had to write. While I have quite a bit pre-written, it isn't chapter ready. Once it is, I still have editing to do so I'm a bit behind my typical schedule.

I will be updating as soon as I can finesse the next chapter. There were a few bugs noted in the timeframe and events that I need to smooth out so I'll be working on that for now.

Thank you for the reviews (I giggled quite a bit at some of it). I'm simply happy that there are still KKM fans out there to read these ridiculous stories we make up for them.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me. See you soon!


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